Catalog
5 Rixdollars
| Issuer | Dutch East India Company (VOC) / British Administration, Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796 |
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| Size | 102 x 68 mm |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Goed voor vyf Ryxds පතාග පහකට இறையால அஞ்சுக்கு 5 (Translation: Good for five rixdollars.) |
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| Reverse lettering | KOLUMBO den 1. JANUARY 1796 Bearing Interest 3 Pcent Pr. annum (Translation: Colombo, January 1st, 1796. Bearing Interest 3 Percent Per annum.) |
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| Comments |
Ceylon's earliest known paper currency, issued in the months immediately following Britain's seizure of the island from the Batavian Republic in 1796. The Dutch had administered Ceylon under the VOC framework, but the company was effectively bankrupt and formally dissolved in 1799 — this note bridges that collapse, retaining the rixdollar denomination the Dutch had established while operating under the new British colonial administration.
Printed locally at Colombo rather than in London, the production quality reflects what a colonial press could manage at short notice. Gregory's signature as Regent anchors the transitional authority behind it.