1284 - 1410 - Setu Type I(1) - Jaffna
Arya Chakravartis Copper masaka

Traditional design of Lanka standing King Type copper masaka of the Jaffna Arya Chakravartis circ 1284-1410, of Codrington SETU type I(1)

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationOne masaka
AlloyCopper
TypeStruck
Diameter18.2 mm
Thickness mm
Weight4.0 gms
ShapeRound
EdgePlain
DieAxisO°
 setu_I-1_masaka_cu_obverse setu_I-1_masaka_cu_reverse
Codrington 88 ;Mitchiner #860
Obverse : Standing king with hanging Lamp or trident on left and group of spheres on right, surmounted by crescent.
Reverse : Seated king on left facing right with Tamil legend SETU vertically below his arm.

Setu coins were previously atributed to the Setupati princes of Ranmnad. Codrington attributes them strongly to the Jaffna Arya Chakravartis. This type I(1) is allied to the late Chola copper coin with Tamil Setu being substituted for the Nagari Sri Rajaraja

See also other SETU Type I 1284-1410 type I(2) coin and I(3) coin.

Text edited from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency: H. W. Codrington, Colombo, 1924.
Chapter VI Medieval Lanka - "Setu" Coins - Type I(1), Page 75
* Oriental Coins: Michael Mitchiner, London, Hawkins Publications, 1978.

The coin was scanned at 600dpi and displayed at 300dpi. It was obtained in 2000 August from Rajah Wickremesinhe an Author and collector in Colombo, Lanka.