The VOC began striking larins at its Ceylon facilities in the late 1650s to address chronic shortages of small-denomination currency in the coastal trade networks around the island. The larin — originally a bent wire coinage native to the Persian Gulf region — was familiar enough to local merchants that the Company adopted the denomination rather than impose European monetary forms. This copper issue reflects that pragmatic accommodation.
Scholt II#20b identifies a specific die pairing within what is otherwise a loosely controlled series; striking consistency across VOC copper from this period was notoriously poor, with significant weight variation tolerated so long as pieces circulated acceptably.
The VOC began striking larins at its Ceylon facilities in the late 1650s to address chronic shortages of small-denomination currency in the coastal trade networks around the island. The larin — originally a bent wire coinage native to the Persian Gulf region — was familiar enough to local merchants that the Company adopted the denomination rather than impose European monetary forms. This copper issue reflects that pragmatic accommodation.
Scholt II#20b identifies a specific die pairing within what is otherwise a loosely controlled series; striking consistency across VOC copper from this period was notoriously poor, with significant weight variation tolerated so long as pieces circulated acceptably.