The rixdollar was the currency of

British Ceylon British Ceylon ( si, බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය ලංකාව, Britānya Laṃkāva; ta, பிரித்தானிய இலங்கை, Biritthāṉiya Ilaṅkai) was the British Crown colony of present-day Sri Lanka between ...

until 1828. It was subdivided into 48 ''stivers'', each of 4 ''duit''. Units called the '' fanam'' and ''larin'' were also used, worth 4 and 9½ stiver, respectively. The currency derived from the Dutch rijksdaalder and

stuiver The stuiver was a coin used in the Netherlands, worth Dutch Guilders ( 16 ''penning'' or 8 ''duit'', later 5 cents). It was also minted on the Lower Rhine region and the Dutch colonies. The word can still refer to the 5 euro cent coin, which ...

, although the rijksdaalder was worth 50 stuiver. Initially containing over 25 grams fine silver worth 4 shillings and sixpence in the 17th century, the Ceylonese rixdollar was worth just one-third this amount by the 19th century. In 1825 it was replaced by the

British pound Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and t ...

at a rate of 1 rixdollar = 1

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...

s, less than the Indian rupee which was worth about 1 shillings.

Coins

The Netherlands United East India Company (VOC) issued coins during the 18th century in denominations of and 1 duit, , 1, 2 and

and 1 rixdollar. After the British took over Ceylon, dump coins (crudely struck copper pieces) were introduced in 1801 in denominations of , and rixdollar. In 1802, milled, copper coins for , and rixdollar were added, although the dump coins continued to be produced until 1816. Silver coins were introduced in 1803 for 24, 48 and 96 stivers. In 1815, copper , 1 and 2 stuiver coins were issued, equal in value to the , and rixdollar denominations. Silver rixdollar coins were issued in 1821.

Banknotes

The Government of Ceylon issued notes denominated in rixdollars, including 5 rixdollar notes in 1809 and 2 rixdollars in 1826.

References

Notes

* * Currencies of Sri Lanka Coins of Sri Lanka Modern obsolete currencies 1828 disestablishments {{SriLanka-stub