Coins In Lucknow Mus. Vol 01 [56 MB - IndianCoins.org

68 CEYLON COINS.India Company) were not, after all, struck in Ceylon. There are similarcoins with two apparently Tamil letters below the words stuiver, andwith T and G in the place of c. If these letters stand for Trinkomaleiand Gralle, then one would expect Cinghalese letters, but they look likethe Tamil letters i. L. for Ilankei, the Tamil form of Lanka, that is,Ceylon." The English have issued four types of coins besides the presentone. Type 1, which is thick and coarsely executed, has on the obversean elephant, below which is the date ;on the reverse the words CEYLONGOVERNMENT round a circle, within which is the value of the coin. Ofthis type, there are three thick silver pieces (very rare) of the valueof 96, 48, and 24 stuivers (4 of which = 1 fanam), weighing 280, 140,and 70 grains, respectively. The 48 stuiver piece is equal to the rixdollar, and the three thick copper pieces of this type are, respectively,worth -jV, 2T, and$, of its value. These copper coins weigh 50stuivers to the pound, and are now difficult to procure." Of this type, specimens of the following years, without letters, arein my collection, and those of the years marked (B.M.), are addedfrom the British museum collection :Silver, 96 Stuivers, 1808 (B.M.), 1809(B.M).,,48 1803 (B.M.), 1804 (B.M.), 1808, 1809 (B.M.).24 1803, 1804 (B.M.), 1808 (B.M.)Copper, 4,,1803 (B.M.), 1804, 1805 (B.M.), 1811 (B.M.).1814, 1815.2,, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1805 (B.M.), 1811, 18121(B.M.), 1813 (B.M.), 1814, 1815, 1816.',, 1801, 1802, 1803 (B.M.), 1809, 1811 (B.M.),1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1817." Of Type 2 one issue was made, in copper, in 1802, of stuivers, halfstuivers, and quarter stuivers ; they are thin, like modern coins, andwell executed, weighing 36 stuivers to 1 lb., obverse and reverse as onthe last type. The British museum has specimens of this type, dated1804, but it is not certain whether they were ever in circulation." Of type 3 also one issue was made, in 1815, of two-stuiver, stuiver,and half stuiver pieces in copper and one issue of rix dollars in silverin 1821. Obverse of the copper, head of George in to right, withlegend GEORGIUS. in. D.G. BRITANNIARUM. REX.: of the silver, head ofGeo. iv. to left, with legend GEORGIUS. iv. D.G. BRITANNIARUM. REX.F.D. Reverse of the copper, an elephant to left ;above the legend,Ceylon tico stivers, one stiver, or one-half stiver, with the date below.The silver the same, but the legendis Ceylon one rix dollar, and roundthe elephant a wreath of flowers. The coins of this type are stilloccasionally met with in the bazars, but the half stuiver isvery difficultto get. Both this and the last issue were struck in England." Lastly, fanam pieces of two kinds were struck in silver. The first,which is very rare, and was issued about 1820, has simply round asmall circle with a dot in its centre FANAM on one side and TOKEN onthe other of a silver coin less than f of an inch in diameter, and withoutthe oldestdate. The work-people, who built Baddegama church,English church in Ceylon, are said to have been paid in this coin,which isroughly executed. The other, which is half an inch indiameter, has on the obverse the bust of Victoria surrounded by the