1645 - 1646 - Portuguese Ceilão
Silver - Tanga - GridIron

The silver Tanga with Coat of arms of Portugal and Gridiron of Saint Laurence struck in Colombo, fort São Lourenço for circulation in Ceilão, with date 1645 during the reign of D. João IV (1640-1656).

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationTanga
AlloySilver
TypeStruck
Diameter17.0 mm
Thickness1.3 mm
Weight legal2.19 gms
Weight2.16 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeSmooth
DieAxis90°
MintGoa,India
 1645_GA_GI_J4_tanga_ag_obverse 1645_GA_GI_J4_tanga_ag_reverse
Codrington PL 107 ; Gomes J4: ; F.Vas J4.31 KM #11
Obverse : Crowned Coat of arms of Portugal divides G A (Goa) within a circle of dots between two plain line circles.
Reverse : Gridiron of Saint Laurence divides year I6 45 and flames below within a circle of dots between two plain line circles.

Codrington (VIII-21:I,p.99) lists it among silver coins struck in or for Ceylon as the second series of the GridIron type struck in 1645 and 1646.

In Grogan section on Ceylon the Tanga is illustrated
(1321) of 1642 -- 16 mm ; 2.22 grams.
(1322) of 1643 -- 17/16 mm ; 2.19 grams.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Chapter VIII Portuguese - Plate xxx. Page xxx
* Indo Portuguese Money, by J Ferraro Vaz, . Braga, Portugal 1980 p.165
* Moedas Portuguesas 1128-1988, by Alberto Gomes. Lisbon 1987
* Collection Henry Thomas Grogan, J. Schulman, Auction 23-02-1914.
* Non-Islamic and Western Colonies since 600 AD by by Michael Mitchiner.

The XF grade coin was scaned at 600 dpi and images are displayed at 400 dpi. It is from part of Lalith Raddella's collection I purchased in 2016 December.