| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Denomination | 2 1/4 pence |
| Alloy | Brass |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Thickness | mm |
| Weight | 3.50 gms |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| DieAxis | O° |
| Issue | |
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| Atkins #98 Lowsley #28 Pridmore #19 Mitchiner #2236 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Obverse : | CEYLON COMPANY LIMITED . * . | an elephant facing left within a circle. |
| Reverse : | - ST. SEBASTIAN MILLS A . * . | within a circle. |
The tokens represented payments for picking certain fixed quantities
of coffee, and were redeemable on Saturdays by actual cash as allowed
for the quantities to which each referred; thus,
the A token is said to have represented 2 1/4d., for a quarter bag;
the B token
was 4 1/2d., being for half a bag, or cwt.; and
the C token for
9d., or a full bag, or 1 cwt.
These tokens were struck in London are well designed and struck.
The St. Sebastian Mills at the time of issue employed about
one thousand five hundred hands. The site of these important mills
being San Sebastian Hill, Maradana, Colombo.
CEYLON COMPANY LTD. This company was established in 1863 to
take over the extremely successful enterprises of G. and M. B. Worms
of 19 Baillie Street, Colombo (1842-1862).
The Ceylon establishment was managed by j. Mercer and
C. B. Smith. The company undertook the following business
(1) Advanced money to owners of Coffee Estates upon condition
that the produce be consigned to the Company for curing and for sale.
(2) Advanced money on coffee crops growing and gathered, under
the same conditions as (1) above.
(3) Undertook the Agency and General management of Estates and
also the receiving and disposing in London or Ceylon of consignments
of coffee and other produce.
In 1883 the Company owned St. Sebastion Mills for Coffee and
Grandpass for Tea. Successfully operated for many years, a new Company
was formed in 1888 under the title of The Eastern Produce and Estates
Co., Ltd.
Reference
* Coins and Tokens
of Ceylon, Lieut. Col B. Lowsley, Num. Chron. Sr III Vol. XV, 1895.
* 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 AD 600 - 1979 by Michael Mitchiner 1979
The token was scanned at 300dpi and the images are displayed at
200dpi.
The very fine condition A token was obtained from a
collector Chrysantha Goonatelleke in Lanka in 2000, September.