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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Quant.Geek, post: 2261813, member: 74799&quot;]The original coins were the anonymous Gold Kahavanu coins of Sri Lanka that predates the Cholan invasion.&nbsp; Those coins are tentatively dated to around the 8th century and continued after the Cholan occupation.&nbsp; Here are a few of these &quot;anonymous&quot; coins and there are a few different types with various denominations.&nbsp; Notice the inscription reads <i>Sri Lamka Vibhu</i>, in Devanagari.&nbsp; It roughly translates to <i>Lord of Lanka:</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b> Ceylon: Anonymous <b>AV </b>Kahavanu, Sri Lamka Vibhu Type IIIA (MCSI-825) </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: Sitting figure holding Annulet; Devanagari legend <i>Sri Lamka Vibhu</i></p><p>Rev: Standing figure holding Ball</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36484/normal_Ceylon_MCSI-825.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Ceylon: Anonymous <b>AV </b>Kahavanu, Sri Lamka Vibhu Type III-B (MCSI-825) </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: Sitting figure holding sankh shell; Devanagari legend <i>Sri Lamka Vibhu</i></p><p>Rev: Standing king holding Jasmine Flower with ancillary symbols, to left and right</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36484/normal_MCSI-825.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Raja Raja changed the design after the occupation of Sri Lanka, replacing <i>Sri Lamka Vibhu</i> with <i>Sri Raja Raja:</i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Ceylon: Raja Raja Chola (ca. 985-1014) AV Kahavanu (MNI-825) </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: King seated right, with arm on right raised and holding sankh shell; Devanagari legend on right, below raised arm - श्री रज रज (<i>Sri Raja Raja</i>)</p><p>Rev: Standing king holding Jasmine Flower with ancillary symbols, to left and right</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36484/MNI-825.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The design proliferated in South India across the three kingdoms with slight variations to suite the local tastes.&nbsp; I won&#039;t repeat the coins you posted, so I added other designs to complement your post:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Imperial Chola: Raja Raja I (ca. 1007) AE Kasu (Biddulph-21)</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: King half seated, with raised arm on right; Devanagari legend beneath raised arm; श्री राजा राजा (<i>Sri Raja Raja</i>)</p><p>Rev: Standing man, with lamp on left and fish on right, representing the the Pandya conquest</p><p><br /></p><p>Take notice of the <u>fish</u> that represents the emblem of the Pandyan Empire.&nbsp; Raja Raja conquered them as well and put the fish on some of his coins to illustrate subjugation.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36484/normal_Biddulph-21.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b> Imperial Chola: Kulottunga Chola I (1070-1120) Kasu (MCSI-345) </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: King half seated, with raised arm on right; Tamil legend beneath raised arm - Ku (கு)</p><p>Rev: Standing man, with lamp on left and group of pellets on right</p><p><br /></p><p>Kulottunga Chola was the Grandson of Raja Raja Chola.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36484/normal_MCSI-345.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The Pandyan Empire finally gained independence from the Chola Empire and grew powerful enough to subjugate their former lords.&nbsp; They issued several anonymous coins with the fish emblem and later added their own legends in Tamil:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pandyan Empire: Sundara Pandyan (1251–1268) AE Kasu (MCSI-399)</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: Tamil - Sundara Pandyan (சுதர பானடி யன)</p><p>Rev: Chola Style Standing Figure; <i>fish above pellets</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]449039[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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