1284 - 1410 - Setu Type I(3)- 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(3) with bull couchant vertically.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationOne masaka
AlloyCopper
TypeStruck
Diameter20.8 mm
Thickness mm
Weight3.4 gms
ShapeRound
EdgePlain
DieAxisO°
 setu_I-3_masaka_cu_obverse setu_I-3_masaka_cu_reverse
Codrington 90 ;Mitchiner #862
Obverse : 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.
Reverse : Seated king on left facing right with Tamil legend SETU vertically below his arm.

Codrington SETU Type I(2) coin is similar, but type I(3) is larger and coarser. The right arm on obverse, seems to be raised and not bent downwards ; under it hanging lamp is usually more like a trident. The Kombu in the legend is over half the size of the S.

This is a rare coin even in Good grade. The coins illustrated in Codrington and also in Mitchiner are of similar grade.

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 300dpi and displayed at 300dpi. It was obtained in 2000 August from Rajah Wickremesinhe an Author and collector in Colombo, Lanka. His resonable identification of coin as Codrington #90 has been adopted.