1695 - Dutch India
Negapatnam - Cash

One Cash copper coin issued by the Dutch Mint in Negapatnam for circulation in Lanka.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationCash
Alloy Copper
Type Struck ?
Diameter 9.5 mm
Thickness 2.5 mm
Weight Legal1.37±0.10 gms
Weight 1.37 gms
Shape Round
Edge Plain
Die Axis
Mint Negapatnam
negapatnam_cash_cud_obverse negapatnam_cash_cud_reverse
Scholten #1246 ; Dutch India KM #26
Obverse : A degenerated human Facing figure of god Kali of Tanjore. Above to left OO two annulets. To right over the "left shoulder" an object commonly called the "club" and a thick dot. Sides end in dot which with the two additional rows; (3 dots and 2 dots below) form a tight 7-dot motif on the breast. All within dot circle.
Reverse : Crude Tamil legend Nakapattanam divided by a horizontal line enclosed in a dotted circle. Tamil Legend Indistinct on this coin

A half Doit coin of legal weight 1.67 to 1.76 is listed as RRR in Scholten which does not show an image. Not Listed in Grogan or Codrington. Scholten says a Negapatnam 1 cash = 1.3725 grams, the weight of this coin.

Although they bore the name Negapatnam on the reverse they were intended principally for Lanka.

Text edited from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  NEGAPATNAM Chapter X Dutch Page 138
* The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories-1601-1948 by C. Scholten, 1953,
  Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman. Chapter X NEGAPATNAM page 138.

This coin is Extreamly Fine grade on obverse and Poor on reverse. coin was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 600 dpi. It was purchased in 2016 September from a dealer from Gampola.