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Auction: 24122 - Spink Numismatic e-Circular 35: Indian and Islamic Coins - e-Auction
Lot: 714

Sri Lanka (Ceylon), British Colony, Fanam Token (2), undated (c.1814-15), (KM 83; Pr.23), weakly struck, fine; Kingdom of Kandy (c. 1550-1765), base silver Fanams (118), similar in design to Viraraya fanams of south India (cf. Codrington, p.175, 168), generally little circulated but most with verdigris deposit, very fine or better (120)

Provenance

A Gentleman's Collection of Sri Lankan Coins

Codrington describes the fanams of Kandy as "Sinhala panama, struck by the king. The metal is silver, often very base, and sometimes hardly distinguishable from copper; a few show a slight admixture of gold, from which it may be inferred that this coin has been gradually debased from an original gold fanam, .... in documents they are mentioned last, as far as I can ascertain, in 1765. The design is that of the Malabar Vira raya fanam."

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Estimate

Starting price
£210