1860 - Darley, Butler & CO.,
Colombo, Ceylon

The copper tokens that were possibly issued for service in the Darley, Butler & Co. mill called New Maddema (Slave Island) for coffee, oil and plumbago.

SPECIFICATIONS
Denomination9 pence
AlloyBrass
Diameter36.3 mm
Thickness2.4 mm
Weight19.09 gms
ShapeRound
EdgePlain
DieAxisO°
 1860_darley_butler_full_obverse 1860_darley_butler_full_reverse
Lowsley Unlisted; Pridmore #27; Mitchiner #2237a

Obverse : Centered radiate Sun Face DARLEY,BUTLER&CO.
* 		along periphery within
dash circle inside raised rim.
Reverse : Centered 1860 COLOMBO
CEYLON 		along periphery within
dash circle inside raised rim.

DARLEY, BUTLER & Co. Edward J. Darley, who came to Ceylon in 1836 was in charge of the Piece-goods Department of the first firm to invest in land - Ackland, Boyd & Co. (1829-1847). When Ackland, Boyd & Co. failed, Darley received the agencies of the coffee estates then in the hands of the firm and started business on his own account under the style of Darley & Co. In 1848-49, Samuel Butler, who came out in 1837, was admitted to the business when the name and style of the firm was changed to Darley, Butler & Co. From the outset the firm, infer alia, had embraced Ceylon produce and their success was substantial. Very large gains were made during the American Civil War and during the subsequent famine of cotton in Manchester. Darley, Butler & Co. had a mill called New Maddema (Slave Island) for coffee, oil and plumbago. The tokens were possibly issued for service in this mill.

See also smaller token of identical design with diameter 29. mm and 9.96 grams The pair of tokens represent a full and half task, possibly 9d. and 4½d values, or a full and half bag of clean coffee.

It is the only token cataloged in Pridmore with an astronomical symbol.

Reference
* The Coins of British Commonwealth of Nations to the end of the reign of George VI 1952 Part 2 - Asian Territories by F. Pridmore Spink & Son Ltd., 1965. Tokens
* Oriental Coins CE 600 - 1979 by Michael Mitchiner 1979

This token was obtained in 2005 April from SriLal Fernando a collector in Melbourne, who had an extra in his collection. The images arescanned at 600 dpi displayed at 175 dpi.