Roman Coins
Several types of Copper Roman coins were used in Sri Lanka. These coins were minted in Rome. The fact that these coins were found all over Sri Lanka indicates that they were widely in use at the time. Majority of these coins belong to the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. This implies that a great deal of trading occurred between the Roman Empire and Sri Lanka. Additionally, due to high circulation and consequent ware and tare, these coins have a tattered appearance.
In addition to the coins that were acquired through international trade; it appears that Roman coins were also minted in Sri Lanka. A large number of such coins were discovered in Navimana, Matara. A number of Roman coins of which some were minted in Rome as well as in Sri Lanka were found in archeological excavations in Sigiriya and Anuradhapura. The main difference between these two types of coins is that the locally produced coins are missing an English character that can be seen on the coins minted in Rome.Instead of the English character, the locally minted coins bear a number ofshort lines arranged in different shapes.
