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1/2 Massa - Arya Chakravartis
| Issuer | Jaffna, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1462-1597 |
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| Currency | Massa (-1500) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bull recumbent to left occupies the central field, depicted in the stylized South Indian hammered tradition with clearly defined body and head. Above the bull appears a large circular symbol, likely a conch or royal emblem associated with the Arya Chakravarti dynasty. Below the bull, a Tamil legend in bold characters extends across the lower portion of the field, all within a border of pellets. |
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| Mintage | ND (1462-1597) |
| Additional information |
The Arya Chakravartis ruled the Jaffna kingdom in the far north of Ceylon largely as a tributary or contested power, caught between successive South Indian pressures and, from the fifteenth century onward, Portuguese encroachment. This copper issue spans a dynasty in decline — the Portuguese sacked Jaffna in 1560 and again more decisively in 1591, and the kingdom was formally absorbed into their Ceylon administration by 1621. Coins from the terminal decades of this date range were likely struck in diminishing quantities as royal infrastructure collapsed.