The Copper massa coins of Srilanka

The copper massa coins from srilanka:

Obverse: Traditional Lankan massa design of seated king.

Head and crown as on obverse. Arm is raised upwards and the hand holds a conch shell. On right Nagari legend as shown below

Reverse: Traditional Lankan massa design of standing king.
The head consists of an irregular oblong, the right side being a vertical line, from which projects three horizontal stokes representing the nose, mouth and chin. The crown bulging outwards at the back. The two curved lines on either side of the legs slightly turned upwards at the end indicate a person wearing a 'dhoti', and standing on a lotus stalk with flower to the right. The forearm is bent sharply down; the hand grasps the hanging lamp. The right side elbow is curved down with the arm turned upwards holds a flower presumed to be a jasmine blossom. To the right are five dots or spheres. A rim of 40 to 43 beads.

1. Lilavati (1197-1200):

At the death of Parakrama Bahu I (1153-1186), the problem of succession to the throne arose and was complicated by the fact that he had no sons of his own. The intrigue and confusion which followed was cut short by the masterful Nissanka Malla but on his death the throne was bestowed upon Lilavati, a queen of Parakrama Bahu I, on three occassions.

The coins bear the legend Sri Raja Lilavati in Nagari letters.

2. Sahasa Malla (1200-1202):

Sahasamalla who displaced Lilavati, belonged to the Kalinga royal family and was a half brother of Nissanka Malla. He succeeded to a troubled state torn by factional strife and ruled for just two years till he was deposed by a general named Ayasmanta.

It is curious that more of his coins with legend Srimat Saha Malla or Srima Sahasa Malla have been found than of any of the others, though his reign lasted but two years.

3. Sri Vijaya bahu (1271-1273):

Parakrama Bahu II placed his eldest son in charge of the administration of the kingdom as the king was ill and requested him to undertake what he himself had failed to achieve, these included the completion of the of the work of restoring the holy  Ruvanveli Dagaba.

On right Nagari legend Sri Vi ja ya Ba hu

The Sinhala copper coinage of the 12th to 15th centuries:

These are popularly referred to as 'Dambedi Kasu' after Dambediniya, indicating the last dynasty by which these coins were struck. Actually these issues span three dynasties; Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya and Kotte. 

While the coinage was predominantly copper, base metal coins of some monarchs are known, these are much rarer than the copper coins.

The massa coins are all similar in type closely following that of the later gold pieces of Vijayabahu I. They belong to the Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya dynasties of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and are of the same style and fabric; each bears the name of a king or queen. The later Kotte issues are slightly different.

On the obverse of these coins is a standing human figure ('Ceylon Man') and on the reverse a seated figure with a legend reading his (or in one case, her) name. Except in 2 instances, all the coins are one massa coins, the exceptions are the 1/8th massacoins of Parakramabahu i(1153-1186) and Dharmasoka (1208-1209)

It has been established the following monarchs issued coins during this period:

The Polonnaruwa era:

Vijaya Bahu I (1055-1111)

Parakrama Bahu I (1153-1186)

Nissanka Malla (1187-1196)

Codaganga (1196-1197)

Queen Lilavati (1197-1200)

Sahasa Malla (1200-1202)

Dharmasoka (1208-1209)

Dambadeniya:

Parakrama Bahu II (1236-1271)

Vijayabahu IV (1271-1273)

BuvanakaBahu (1273-1284)

Kotte:

Parakrama Bahu VI

Source: Internet