1803 - Ceylon
48 Stiver - One Rix-dollar

Forty Eight Stiver silver coin struck in Ceylon for circulation by authority dated 1803 June, 8th with fineness 891.66 and weight 50 to the pound avoirdupois.

SPECIFICATIONS
Denomination48 Stiver
AlloySilver.891Ag
TypeStruck
Diameter19.0 mm
Thickness3.7 mm
Weight Legal9.05 gms
Weight8.83 gms
ShapeRound
EdgePlain
DieAxis160°
MintCeylon
1803_48st_ag-dump_obverse 1803_48st_ag-dump_reverse
Pridmore #5; Mitchiner #2202; Krause #77

Obverse : Within a circle of dashes an elephant facing left with a perspective ground. The year 1803 below a line.
Reverse : Within a circle of dashes CEYLONGOVERNMENT preceded by a group of four dots. The value in Stivers 48 ST at center within a bead circle. Two lines below the T.

R. Nott reports two varieties among (2) 1803 coins; six varieties among (7) 1804 coins; and single variety among (2) rare 1805 coins the he has from the Lowsley collection. Pridmore Lists 1 varieties for 1803 (P#5) (without dot); and 2 varieties each for 1804 (P#6-7), and 1805 (P#8-9) i.e. with and without dot between CEYLON.GOVERNMENT.

The First contract signed with Mr. Blume on 1803, February 4th and provided for the coinage of a silver rix-dollar to weigh 50 to the pound (Dutch) or 9.88 grams and the standard fineness 0.833. Very few rix-dollars were struck of this weight and fineness.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Page 155 Chapter XI British - Coins struck in Ceylon. Plate 154.

The coin was scanned at 600dpi and the images are displayed at 300dpi. It was won on ebay in 2003 March from a NZ dealer.