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Debased AV Kahavanu - Vijaya Bahu I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (Sinhalese States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1055-1110 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | King depicted in reclining posture to right, his right arm raised aloft bearing a sankha (conch shell); Devanagari legend appears in the right field. The design is rendered in the highly stylised, abstracted manner characteristic of medieval Sri Lankan coinage, with bold relief and irregular flan typical of hammered electrum issues. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (1055-1110) |
| Additional information |
Vijaya Bahu I reclaimed Sri Lanka from the Chola occupiers in 1070 after nearly seven decades of South Indian domination, but the treasury he inherited was effectively stripped. The debasement visible in this kahavanu — gold alloyed well toward electrum — reflects the fiscal reality of rebuilding a kingdom from a hollowed-out base, not a policy of deliberate fraud. Coin production resumed under severe constraint.
The kahavanu type itself had been the dominant gold currency of the island since the Anuradhapura period. Vijaya Bahu's issues continued the form while the metal quietly told a different story.