1971 Ceylon Proof Set
Royal Mint, London

CEYLON COINAGE

CEYLON COINS
The rupee which was accepted as the unit of currency of Ceylon in the early British period was not so in the eyes of the law until action was taken after a discharged official demanded payment of a large amount of money due to him in gold sovereigns instead of in rupees. The British Governor at that time, Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, thereafter submitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies a minute dated 11th March 1866 urging that the Indian rupee with its sub-divisions be declared as legal tender in Ceylon and that all transactions expressed in pounds, shillings and pence be declared legally complete if discharged in rupees at the rate of 2 shillings per rupee. There was much opposition to this proposal from Her Majesty's Treasury which declined to accept a decimal system of currency in which the rupee, sub-divided into one hundred cents, was to be the standard unit of monetary value. After further representations the Treasury yielded to Sir Hercules who strongly advocated a change in the system of keeping public accounts. The subsequent Order in Council of 1869 was announced in the Government Gazette No. 3836 of 26th August 1871 declaring the rupee and its decimal sub-divisions as the sole currency of Ceylon with effect from 1st January 1872. Thus Ceylon (SRI LANKA) can proudly claim to be one of the pioneers in the use of the decimal system of currency.

The coins in this set were introduced in 1963 and carry the armorial ensign of Ceylon on the obverse. All coins issued prior to 1963 carried the effigy of the ruling British monarch on the obverse.

Coins of the value of half of one cent and quarter of one cent were also issued in Ceylon in the early days. However, as these became of little use later, the half cent coin, though not demonetized went out of circulation, while the quarter cent was demonetized in October 1909. Both these coins were of bronze and weighed 36.458 grains and 18.229 grains respectively.

RUPEE COIN
The early rupee coin used in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was the Indian silver rupee coin (916.6 fine) weighing 18o grains. These coins circulated in the country until they were replaced by a currency note of the same denomination in 1917. Although the rupee became the unit of currency a century ago, the first Ceylon rupee coin was issued only in 1957. This was a cupro-nickel round coin weighing 174.55 grains issued to commemorate the Buddha Jayanti year. With the introduction of the new coinage by the Central Bank of Ceylon in 1963, the cupro-nickel coin in this set weighing 110 grains was issued, which replaced the currency note of the same denomination.

FIFTY CENT COIN
The Indian half rupee silver coin weighing go grains was legal tender in Ceylon until it was replaced with a Ceylon fifty cent silver coin (800 fine) of the same weight in 1892. In 1919 due to the rise in the price of silver its fineness was reduced to 550. As a wartime measure the silver coins were demonetized and ceased to be legal tender after 30th September 1942, and until they were replaced with a nickel-brass coin weighing 85 grains in November 1943, a sub-note of the denomination of fifty cents was in circulation. The sub-note was eventually demonetized in August 1956. The cupro-nickel coin in this set weighing 85 grains was first issued in 1963.

TWENTY FIVE CENT COIN
The twenty five cent coin which replaced the Indian quarter rupee underwent the same changes as the fifty cent coin, i.e., the first coin issued in 1892 was 800 fine silver weighing 45 grains and in 1919 the fineness was reduced to 550 fine silver. These were demonetized in 1942 and replaced with a nickel-brass coin weighing 42.5 grains in 1943 and until a replacement was made a sub-note of this denomination was in circulation. The sub-notes were demonetized in August, 1956. The cupro-nickel coin in this set weighing 50 grains was first issued in 1963.

TEN CENT COIN
The first ten cent coin 800 fine silver and weighing 18 grains was also introduced in 1892. This coin too underwent the same changes as the fifty cent and twenty five cent silver coins until it was finally demonetized as a wartime measure on 28th February 1943. A sub-note of this denomination was in ciraculation until it was replaced with a nickel-brass scallop edged coin weighing 65 grains in November, 1944. The sub-note was eventually demonetized in August, 1956_ The ten cent coin in this set was first issued in 1963 and is of the same shape, size, weight and metallic content as the coin issued in 1944.

FIVE CENT COIN
The five cent coin was one of the first coins issued after the acceptance of the adoption of the decimal sub-division of the rupee in January, 1872. The first five cent coin, issued in 187o, was round and weighed 291.6 grains. This coin was replaced in 1910 with a much smaller square cupro-nickel coin weighing 6o grains In February, 1944, the metal composition was changed from cupro-nickel to nickel-brass. The coin in this set, first issued in 1963, is of nickel-brass weighing 50 grains.

TWO CENT COIN
The two cent coin was introduced in 1944. This coin was in fact introduced to break the strain on the five cent and one cent coins. The original two cent coin was of nickel-brass weighing 40 grains similar in shape and size to the aluminium 12.0 grains coin in this set.

ONE CENT COIN
The one cent coin was another unit of the sub-division of the rupee which was minted along with the five cent coin in 187o and issued in 1871. This was a bronze round coin weighing 72.916 grains and was subsequently reduced in weight by half in 1942. With the introduction of the new coinage in 1963, the bronze can was replaced with the round aluminium coin in this set weighing 10.8 grains.

Information supplied by the Central Bank of Ceylon.

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Printed in England by Glover Printing LTD.
HRS O/No 4227706 20m-10/74