Since the inauguration of the Royal Asiatic Society, Ceylon Branch in 1845 and until the establishment of the Archaeological Department and The National Museum in 1877, Archaeological investigation and restoration work was carried out through its pioneering efforts. In the process of carrying out this work many coins and other antiques were unearthed. These finds were brought to the notice of the Society and kept in its safe custody. Gradually interest in ancient coins increased and a few Colonial Officers of that that time took to building up private collections. Some of the rare coins that were in their hands have been recorded and referred to in H. W. Codringtons monumental work “Ceylon Coins and Currency”. What happened ‘to these coins subsequently no one knows. When referring to the above works, it would be wholly unfair if no mention is made of Mrs. Codrington for both Mr. & Mrs. Codrington had for ‘several years spent their time and leisure to gather and put to shape that vast volume of information that has gone in to this book. All Sri Lankans owe a great debt to Mr. & Mrs. Codrington.
After the Archaeological Department was established in 1877, extensive restoration work was started in an organised manner. In carrying out this work in Archaeological reserves and other places of historical interest, large quantities of coins have been found singly, in numbers and also in the form of hoards — those buried in pots and other vessels. These have been cleaned, carefully studied, recorded and placed in Museums. Valuable papers thereon have appeared from time to time in local journals specially that of the Royal Asiatic Society C.B.
Coins too have been found by various individuals in many parts of the country in the course of digging the soil for domestic, agricultural, and other purposes. In most such instances coins found have been secretly disposed off and no information as to the size of the finds, its location etc is available to anyone. From such finds, coins in precious metal are known to have been smelted or secretly disposed off and by the time a collector finds any of them in a jewelery shop or in the possession of a goldsmith, many miles away from the place of the find, they have at times passed through several hands with the result that the vital information thereon which the collector needs becoming unavailable.
Private collections which may have consisted of rare coins held by the earliest collectors and surplus coins of advanced collectors of the recent past have undoubtedly gone out of the country to fill cabinets In foreign museums and those of private collectors, specially in America Apart from this, large and inestimable quantities of coins are believed to have gone out of the country with the knowledge and connivance of highly placed and high1y esteemed officials of the Archaeological Department of the past and this belief would be confirmed by what happened to what is now known in America as the ”Gampola Larin Hoard”
In the recent past about three decades ago, a popular talk going round was to the effect that a lot of rare coins that were in the National museum had disappeared and also that valuable gold coins have been replaced with faked ones. There is no smoke without a fire. All those talks cannot be dismissed as idle chatter or malicious gossip when one realizes what has happened about that time to the antique jewelery in the Colombo Museum
On representations made to higher authorities by a public spirited and an honest officer of the Museum staff who became aware of what was happening in this institution, a committee was appointed to inquire into and report on the gems and jewelery in the Colombo Museum. A short account of’ the Interim Report of the committee appeared in the Times of Ceylon according to which gold jewelery had become gold— plated brass and precious stones replaced with imitation stones. Who were the people who had the facilities to perpetrate this dastardly act of jugglery?. They ought to be none but the Curators and other higher officials who alone had the authority and the facilities to handle this precious ware.
In that atmosphere, not only anything but many things could have have happened. On the top of all this the outbreak of the second World1d War necessitated the evacuation of the Museum. This must have given the same dishonest officers another opportunity for their nefarious activities. Whether they succumbed once again to the earlier temptation or not no one can vouch for.
The “Gampola Larin Hoard” mentioned earlier is a hoard of larins or hook coins unearthed in Gampola. No Lankan had seen it or heard of it until a few specimen coins together with a Monograph thereon were received by the Museum as a gift from the present owners of the hoard in America. This hoard consisted of about 1500 larins and is said to be the largest collection ever found in Sri Lanka. They bore a large variety of legends marks and designs and formed a unique collection sufficient to make a special study of this type of coin, which fortunately the present owners have done with great care and attention.
The first owner of it in America was Dr. Casey A. Wood who came to Sri Lanka on being informed of this find, gathered all possible information on these coins, purchased and removed it out of the country. In this shady transaction no less a person than John Still, an eminent and highly respected official in the Archaeological Department was involved. His accomplice was W.H. Biddell, Sri Lanka’s biggest collector of coins, who settled down in Anuradhapura and lived there for coins and on coins. He is reputed as a jealous collector inclined to hoarding, whose surplus coins of lesser value and importance were all said to have been dumped into a deep pit in his garden, thereby preventing them from going into the hands of other collectors. Retribution came to him in his old age when he was compelled to dispose of his collection or what remained if it for a mere song. The buyer is said to have reaped a golden harvest in Europe. Only the remnants either remained or was brought back to Sri Lanka, and even this may have gone out of the country once again by now.
Practically all big collectors of the past together with a few well known jewelers and curio dealers are the people through whom our ancient coins and antiques went out of the country. From time to time foreigners come here posing off as collectors. Whilst in actual fact they are buying agents of foreign Numismatic Societies. The outward flow still continues mostly through jewelers and a few local crooks who pose off as advanced collectors. whereas in reality they are exporters. They have no love for our ancient heritage but are ever ready to sacrifice it for the sake of the Gods they adore-the pounds and the dollars.
The advanced collectors of coins could be counted on the fingers of one hand. But it is most surprising how some of these lifetime collections disappear mysteriously after the death of the collector. I have in mind the case of a gentleman who had the third best collection in Sri Lanka. He had no known heirs or any kith and kin in this country as they they had migrated elsewhere. After his death what happened to his collection remains a mystery. Perhaps he may have sent his collection to his kith and kin or disposed of it secretly allowing it to go out of the country by some means or other.
I have stated all these facts which I have been aware of as I feel present day collectors should know and be aware of what had befallen to our ancient heritage in the remote as well as the recent past and might befall once again in the future in these days of dishonest men an culture Vultures. They have been made without malice or base intentions of maligning any one, but with the sole intention of inducing in new collectors a desire to cherish our heritage, to encourage collecting and preserve them for posterity in our own country and to dissuade collectors from disposing any of them to foreigners, however much they may be tempted by the offer of pounds and dollars The best way to build up a collection is by resorting to the practice of exchanging spares with other collectors. Buying and selling may also may be resorted to if circumstances necessitates doing so. In all such dealings care should be taken to see that coins pass into the hands of genuine collectors only. This would become easy if all collectors join the Numismatic Society of Sri Lanka. Those desirous of terminating their hobby and disposing of their collection also could do so through this Society.