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1⅓ Rixdollar - George IV Counterstamped
| Issuer | Ceylon (1597-1972) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1823 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1⅓ Rixdollar (4⁄3) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is fully occupied by multi-register Nastaliq Arabic script arranged horizontally across the field, recording the regnal year and mint name. The legend states that the coin was struck at the Arcot Mint in the sixth year of the emperor's tranquil and prosperous reign. The inscriptions are bold and clearly defined, consistent with Arcot Mint style of the mid-eighteenth century. A beaded border encircles the design. This side served as the host coin prior to British counterstamping for circulation in Ceylon. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Ceylon's chronic shortage of small silver in the early nineteenth century led the colonial administration to counterstamp foreign coins already in circulation rather than commission entirely new issues. The 1⅓ Rixdollar denomination itself was an awkward fraction born of necessity — a deliberate ratio designed to relate Dutch Rixdollar-based accounting to British sterling at a workable exchange rate. The 1823 counterstamp program applied a crowned GR punch to Dutch and other colonial silver already circulating on the island.
Host coin condition varies wildly within this type, as the punch was applied regardless of the underlying piece's wear state.