1⁄48 Rixdollar

Ceylon came under British administration via the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, and one of the more pressing practical problems was the chaotic currency situation the Dutch had left behind. The VOC had issued its own local coinage, and British merchants were dealing with a confusing mix of Dutch stuivers, rixdollars, and locally circulating foreign pieces. These copper fractions were among the first coins issued under the new colonial administration specifically to rationalize small-denomination trade on the island.

The rixdollar itself was a carry-over accounting unit from the Dutch colonial period — the British kept the denomination rather than impose sterling, at least temporarily.