| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Denomination | 2.25 pence |
| Alloy | copper |
| Height | 25.0 mm |
| Width | 20.5 mm |
| Thickness | mm |
| Weight | 4.14 gms |
| Shape | Rectangleound |
| Edge | Milled |
| DieAxis | O° |
| Issue | |
Mill at Slave Island, Colombo
Issued prior to 1869, Messrs. Pilo Fernando mills were at Slave Island, Colombo, and were pulled down about 1872.
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| Atkins #100 Lowsley #26 Pridmore #34 Mitchiner #2244 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Obverse : | Along periphery legend | COFFEE PICKER'S CHIT | over a bust to left, uncrowned, of Queen Victoria. |
| Reverse : | Along periphery legend | PILO FERNANDO * COLOMBO * | 2D¼ in center. |
See also the circular
token
of practically the same weight of but of twice the marked value.
The rectangular portrait shape was doubtless sensibly adopted in
order that natives might the more easily understand the payment as
given them for picking half a bag or a quarter of a bag of coffee;
According to Lowsley these Portuguese and native establishments are very difficult to trace in 1890 as they are less prominent and the names are far more common than English firms. Firm is not described in Pridmore.
Text from
* Coins and Tokens of Ceylon, 1895 by Colonel B. Lowsley - (#25)
* The Coins and Tokens of the British Empire, 1889 by James Atkins - (#99)
* The Coins of British Commonwealth of Nations - 1961 by F. Pridmore (#33)
* Oriental Coins AD 600 - 1979 by Michael Mitchiner (#2243)
The token was scanned at 300dpi and the images are displayed at 250dpi.
The almost Unc condition token was purchased in 2002 from a dealer in USA