The famous Lakshmi goddess cast coin

There is little doubt that these were coins and were never meant to be anything else.
The obverse type is a graceful representation of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and wife of Vishnu, keeper of all that is good, draped in a broad girdle, standing on a large lotus and holding in either hand a lotus stalk of the same plant, usually arising from the flower beneath her feet, and ending in a small lotus. She wears bangles on the arms, anklets on the legs below the knee and also conspicuous earrings. In her abhisheka on either side of her figure a small elephant stands on a lotus at the level of the shoulder, apparently holding in its upturned trunk a pot and sprinkling water over her head.


The reverse is occupied by a bold swastika, railed and mounted on a staff, with a symbol in the field on either side.


Elephant & Swastika coins

The coins are characterized by the following symbols found on the obverse:

• A railed swastika – swastika mounted on a staff and surrounded by a railing or fence formed by four short basal uprights, two on each side of the staff, the swastika revolving to the left
• An elephant walking left, with trunk extended
• A three-branched bo-tree within an enclosure
• A stupa enclosing three relic cells
• A triangular symbol lying on its side

The reverse has the usual swastika revolving to the right and stupa nandipada or taurine symbol consisting of a trident head, with the side prongs curved and longer than the central one, surmounting a circle with a pellet in the center; and a double triangle symbol composed of two triangles joined apex to apex in a vertical position, with a bar across the joint.



Two main types of the Elephant & swastika coins are known; the thick type coin found in the south of Ceylon and the thin type found in Anuradhapura. Here is an exceptional example of the thin type:


The Bo-tree and swastika coin

The obverse shows a four branched tree within an enclosure of four compartments. On reverse, a large railed swastika, two symbols, to upper right a group of three dots, under swastika a Caitya (Temple). These coins are much smaller in size and would appear to be more recent than the large ‘Elephant & Swastika’ pieces, and their date may be conjectured to be the first century A.D.


Most Bo-tree and swastika types coins found have either the obverse, reverse or both worn or not complete.

In our photo gallery there are more coins from Sri Lanka (Ceylon):
Photo Gallery - Coins with Swastikas

Original link (where they also sell these types of coins):
http://www.asiancollectibles.net/ancientceylonhome.htm