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1⁄12 Rixdollar
| Issuer | British Colonial Government of Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1801-1815 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Rixdollar (1796-1828) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | GOVERNMENT*CEYLON 12 |
| Reverse description | An elephant is depicted in profile, standing to the left within a beaded circle, rendered in a bold and somewhat schematic style typical of early British colonial copper coinage. The animal is shown in full body with trunk lowered and tail raised. A plain exergual line separates the main field from the exergue below, where the date of issue is inscribed. The date appears in the exergue beneath the exergual line, and the entire design is enclosed by a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Ceylon came under British control in 1796 following the collapse of Dutch VOC administration, and the colonial government inherited a fractured monetary system built around Dutch rixdollars and locally struck copper dumps. Rather than immediately imposing British sterling, authorities issued transitional coinage denominated in the existing rixdollar system — a pragmatic concession to commercial continuity on the island. The series spanning 1801–1815 reflects at least three distinct issues, catalogued separately under KM#65, 68, and 71, differing in die details and striking characteristics across that run.
Sterling was eventually imposed in 1825, rendering the rixdollar coinage obsolete within a decade of the final strikes.