Two Millennium of Elephant on Coins from Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

- Kavan Ratnatunga, - 2002 June - Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Updated 2016 May

The Anuradhapura Period
  * The `Puranas' or silver punch mark coin - Elephant (partly visible)

  * E&S Multi Symbol struck copper Clean - coin Elephant (facing Left)
  * E&S small struck copper coin - Elephant (facing right)
  * E&S Multi Symbol cast copper coin Elephant (walking left)

  * Chera Bow and Ankusa Type - Elephant facing left- coin

  * The `Lakshmi' lead Plaque coins - Elephants (pair) -Fragment of copper

  * Unidentified ancient coin with elephant head facing right.

Ruhuna. The Ancient Lankan Civilization collection
  * Brahami Inscribed lead Tokens
    A3 Elephant to right
    A5 Elephant to right
    A18 Elephant to right facing tree
    E18 Elephant to left facing Muntain
    E22 - Elephant walking right
    X9 Elephant to right facing Tree
    X21 Three Elephants facing left, forward and right

  * Unnscribed lead Tokens
    F1 Elephant to right
    F4 Elephant to right on hind legs
    F8 Elephant running to right

  * Black Polished disk with Elephant to left with trunk raised
  * Copper signet ring with elephant symbol.
  * Terracotta Elephant Statue.

The Periods under Indian Influence.
  * Gajapati gold Pagoda coin - Fanam coin Elephant to right (caparisoned)

The Early British Period 1801-1824.
  * 1801 - 1816 : copper dump stiver coins - Elephant to left
  * 1802 : copper mint stiver coins - Elephant to left
  * 1803 - 1809 : silver dump Rix Dollar coins - Elephant to left
  * 1815 : Georgius III copper stiver coins - Elephant to left
  * 1821 : Georgius IV silver Rix Dollar coin - Elephant to left

Coffee Mill tokens
  * 1859 - A & B Scott & Co., Colombo, Coffee Store token - Elephant to left
  * Ceylon Company Limited, St. Sebastian Mills C Pattern - Wild Elephant toleft
    C - B - A tokens - Tame Elephant to left
  * Keir, Dundas & Co. Kandy token elephant to left

Commemorative coins
  * 1957 Buddha Jayanthi - silver Rs 5 coin - Two Elephants (Moonstone)
  * 1991 SAF Games V - silver square Rs 100 coin - Elephant to left
  * 2000 Central Bank of Sri Lanka - silver crown Rs 1000 coin - Elephant to left
  * 2013 Sri Lanka - Kegalle District - Steel Rs 10 coin Two Pinnawala Elephants Bathing

Medals.
  * 1897 Victoria 60th medal Elephant on ground facing left in front of dagoba.

Amusment tokens from Slot Machines.
  * India-Ceylon-Burma token with elephant to left.

Casino Tokens
  * >1977 W. Bros Casino, Srilanka Gaming token

Gold
  * 1999 Department of Wildlife Conservation 50th sovereign Elephant - tusker facing forward.

This collection was presented as a research paper titled Elephants in Lankan Numismatics at the conference Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature at held on 2016 August 20th at University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.