So I have this coin, which came to me as a massa of Lilavati, but the letters don't seem to jibe with the legend Sri Ra ja Li la va ti. I'm comparing them to these... Found on this site. Here is my coin... And here is how I see the lettering... Are there regional variants to the Nagiri script? Does this in fact read Sri Raja Lilavati?
All of these look alike to those who read Greek and Latin but few coins are any more clearly lettered. I have six different rulers. I was once told that 99% of these we see are from the five common rulers with Dharmasoka being the most common of the others that made up the 1%. I got most of mine from a large lot (500-1000?) at a Baltimore show in 2010. In that group I noticed only only two Dharmasoka so I bought both and the nicest one of the others. I got the IDfrom a website with good photos but seem to have lost the link. I see many offered with bad ID's and even see some shown upside down which i not a good sign if you are believing the seller is an expert. They are nice, thick, well made coins but I have not noticed rarities in the little looking I have done. These are like Chinese cash where rarities ar for people willing to learn the series enough to separate a $5 coin from a $500 one. My interest does not go that far. Dharmasoka sometimes gets extra play from being a baby but I'm not sure his rarity is as much as I was told years ago. It all come down to whether you are willing to pay a premium for a baby king or a queen (Lilavati) or if what you really want is a single sample not really mattering what the language says.
Lovely set Doug! Well, mine was sold to me upside-down and mis-attributed, but the lettering certainly didn't look like anything on the coins of Lilavati!
Taprobane Uncertain Traveling mint, Southern Sri Lanka VijayaBahu I AV Kahavanu (AD r. 1055 - 1110) 21.5 mm x 4.36 grams Obverse:Standing figure with head to right. Crown thick straight line with triangle in rear. In a Dhoti (garment) indicated by two curved lines on either side and one line in between longer than legs, standing on a lotus plant stalk with small circle in center ending on left in a chank and on right in flower as in hand. In left hand is an open Jasmine flower (pichcha mala) viewed from side. The right arm is extended To right four annulets and ball above. A beaded circle along the periphery of the coin. Rev:A figure, head right crown as on obverse Squatting upon asana, (a bed-like throne) represented by a short oblong frame, divided lengthwise by a line and two cross lines. dhoti represented by bent line and small line in angle between the legs. The right arm is pendent over the right knee, which is drawn up; In left hand a chank. In field to right - Legend Shri Vi Ji Ya Ba Hu Ref# Vijayabahu Type III, no. 85. Note: EF , Rare, Rare.
Really nice coin, Chris! Yours actually IS Lilavati. This has been a good learning experience for me in reading the Brahmi script on these types.
Parakramabahu IV ? I know there was a king by this name, but in numismatics i think the major distinction that is made is between Parakramabahu II and Parakramabahu VI. Where the latter has a sitting lion added to the design next to the king.
Aside from the ones that have already been posted, here are several that you don't normally encounter: Arya Chakravartis of Jaffna: Anonymous (ca. 1284-1410) Æ Massa (MNSI-862) Obv: Seated king on left facing right with Tamil legend செது (SETU) vertically below his arm Rev: Standing king with crown consisting two lines and a dot, trident on left under raised right arm. A bull couchant vertically with a circle before it. All in bead circle. group of spheres on right, surmounted by crescent Ceylon: Codaganga (1196-1197) Æ Massa (Codrington-79) Obv: Seating king on left facing right with arm raised; 4-line Nagari legend below arm - श्री चोडगंग देव (Sri Codaganga Deva) Rev: Standing king, lamp at left, globes at right Ceylon: Nissanaka Malla (1187-1196) Æ Massa (Mitchiner-835, Codrington-78) Obv: Seating king on left facing right with arm raised; 4-line Nagari legend below arm - Sri Kalegalakeja Rev: Standing king, lamp at left, globes at right Ceylon: Parakrama Bahu VI (1415-1468) Æ Massa (Mitchiner-853, Codrington-97) Obv: Seating king on left facing right with arm raised; 4-line Nagari legend below arm - Sri Parakrama Bahu Rev: Standing king, lamp at left, globes at right; To right a lion seated and facing right with left foreleg uplifted
The extra additions are an extra bonus that this thread was reopened. For one reason or another, the poster who reopened the thread, with a question which i answered, seems to have removed his post after my answer.
