An Unlisted Indo-Portuguese Bazaruco Coin from Sri Lanka

Abstract

 The Portuguese were the first European power to make an incursion into the island of Sri Lanka in the early 16th century. The arrival of the Portuguese was the turning point in changes to the social, political, economic, and cultural sectors of the country. The Portuguese administration introduced several types of coins for circulation in their Asian colonies, including India, later extending their use to Sri Lanka. Numismatists refer to these coins as Indo-Portuguese coins, as they were specifically issued by the Portuguese for use within “Indian” territories. For instance, the Portuguese minted gold, silver, copper and tutenag (an alloy of copper, zinc, iron, and nickel) coins. This article is focused on an unlisted Indo-Portuguese half Bazaruco coin found in a Sri Lankan context, that has, so far, remained unstudied. Its significance lies in the engraved figure of St. Lawrence, observed for the first time in an Indo-Portuguese series. This study examines the socio-political and cultural symbolism reflected in this coin, further analyzing how the coins may have reshaped the existing monetary system in the island. Here we argue that the new find is a unique Sri Lankan product, which may be a commemorative coin to venerate St. Lawrence. Finally, we explore the religious and cultural value of the coin that shaped Portuguese colonial ambitions in the East.