Issuing authority
British Ceylon
British crown colony issuing rupee and cent coinage and its own stamps.
- Kind
- colony
- Region
- South Asia, Asia
- Recorded period
- 1796 – 1948
Succeeded by Ceylon (Dominion) and modern Sri Lanka.
Objects are filed under the historical authority that actually issued or made them. A recorded period comes from the issuer's own reference description and is left blank where no source states it.
Published entries
19
Individual types and documented families
With photographs
100%
19 with a credited real-object photo
Dated span
1801 – 1942
19 entries with their own date
Verified or well documented
0
Highest two confidence levels
Catalogue entries (19)
Filter these entries by era, material or confidenceSorted by date, earliest first.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
24 stuivers from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, 1801
1801
Copper coin. Obverse: walking elephant facing left. In exergue date at bottom. Reverse: within circle of dots value indication: 24 [=1/24 rixdollar]. Struck in Ceylon. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4037; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique striking (metalworkin…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
½ stiver of Sri Lanka, Ceylon, 1802
1802
Copper coin. Obverse: walking elephant facing left. In exergue, year at the bottom. Reverse: within a circle of dots, value designation: 96 [=1/96 rixdollar]. Struck in England. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4038; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique striking (m…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
½ rixdollar of 24 stivers from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, 1804
1804
Silver coin. Obverse: elephant walking to the left. In exergue, year below. Reverse: within a circle of dots, two-line value indication: 24 St. Plain edge. Struck in Ceylon. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4040; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metal…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Double rixdollar of 96 stivers from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, 1808
1808
Silver coin. Obverse: elephant walking to the left. In exergue, year below. Reverse: within a circle of dots, two-line value indication: 96 St. Plain edge. Struck in Ceylon. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4042; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metal…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Sri Lanka, Ceylon, rixdollar of 48 stivers, 1808
1808
Silver coin. Obverse: elephant walking to the left. In exergue, year below. Reverse: within a circle of dots, two-line value indication: 48 St. Plain edge. Struck in Ceylon. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4043; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metal…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
2 stivers from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, in the name of King George III, 1815
1815
Copper coin. Obverse: laureate bust of the king facing right. Reverse: elephant walking to the left. Above, value indication: two stivers. In exergue, year below. Struck in England. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4045; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique strikin…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Sri Lanka, Ceylon, stiver in the name of King George III, 1815
1815
Copper coin. Obverse: laureate bust of the king facing right. Reverse: elephant walking to the left. Above, value indication: one stiver. In exergue, year below. Struck in England. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4046; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique striking…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Sri Lanka, Ceylon, rixdollar in the name of King George IV, 1821
1821
Silver coin. Obverse: laureate bust of the king facing left. Reverse: between two tied branches, elephant walking to the left. Above, in two lines, value indication: one rix dollar. Year below. Plain edge. Struck in England. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4048; its record gives material re…
Partial type record
British Government
stamps
Ceylon postage stamps
from 1857
Ceylon postage stamps are postal issues produced for British Ceylon, beginning with imperforate issues released in 1857. The first stamp, issued on 1 April 1857, was a brown 6 pence denomination depicting a portrait of Queen Victoria, utilized for sending a half-ounce letter from Ceylon to England. Eight additional…
Research required
Van Acker Coin Auctions October 2026 Auction (via NumisBids)
modern coins
British Ceylon cent coinage
1870-1948
British Ceylon cent coinage comprises the decimal fractional currency issued between 1870 and 1948 under British colonial administration. Introduced following the decimalisation of the rupee, the series debuted in 1872 with copper 1/4-cent, 1/2-cent, 1-cent, and 5-cent pieces dated 1870. Silver denominations of 10,…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Cent of Sri Lanka, Ceylon in the name of Queen Victoria, 1870
1870
Copper coin. Obverse: diademed head of the queen to the left. Reverse: palm tree. In legend, value designation: one cent and date at the bottom. Plain edge. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4050; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique striking (metalworking); measure…
Partial type record
Typo by De la Rue, London, via Wikimedia Commons
stamps
Queen Victoria issue, British Ceylon, 1872
1872
The Queen Victoria issue comprises 12 postage stamps released by British Ceylon on 1 January 1872. The StampWorld catalogue lists 12 stamps in the issue (StampWorld numbers 54–60), printed in 12 design types. Values and colours recorded for the issue: 2C brown; 2C brown; 2C brown; 4C grey; 4C grey; 4C grey; 8C oran…
Partial type record
Typo by De la Rue, via Wikimedia Commons
stamps
Queen Victoria issue, British Ceylon, 1886
1886
The Queen Victoria issue comprises 4 postage stamps released by British Ceylon in 1886. The StampWorld catalogue lists 4 stamps in the issue (StampWorld numbers 113, 114, 114A*, 115), printed in 4 design types. Values and colours recorded for the issue: 15C olive; 25C yellowish brown; 25C yellowish brown; 28C slate…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
50 cents from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, in the name of Queen Victoria, 1892
1892
Silver coin. Obverse: head with diadem of the queen facing left. Reverse: between value indication - in two lines - palm tree. Year below. Milled edge. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4050A; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metalworking); measurement…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
10 cents of Sri Lanka, Ceylon in the name of Queen Victoria, 1893
1893
Silver coin. Obverse: diademed head of the queen to the left. Reverse: between value designation - in two lines - palm tree. Year at the bottom. Milled edge. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4050G; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metalworking); measu…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
25 cents of Sri Lanka, Ceylon in the name of Queen Victoria, 1893
1893
Silver coin. Obverse: diademed head of the queen facing left. Reverse: between value indication - in two lines - palm tree. Date below. Milled edge. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-4050E; its record gives material recorded as silver (metal); technique striking (metalworking); measurements d…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Cent from Sri Lanka, Ceylon, 1912
1912
Copper coin. Obverse: crowned bust of Emperor and King George V facing left. Reverse: palm tree. In legend value indication: one cent and below, year. Plain edge. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-5968; its record gives material recorded as copper (metal); technique striking (metalworking); m…
Partial type record
Sean O via Numista
banknotes
2 Rupees, Sri Lanka, 1941–1949 (Pick 35)
1941-1949
This 2 Rupees note was issued in Sri Lanka, with dates recorded from 1941–1949. It belongs to the Rupee (1871-1972) currency system. Issuing authority and period recorded in the catalogue: George VI (1936-1952). It measures 128 × 76 mm and is printed on paper. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money lists the type…
Partial type record
Bank Note Museum via Numista
banknotes
25 Cents, Sri Lanka, 1942–1949 (Pick 44)
1942-1949
This 25 Cents note was issued in Sri Lanka, with dates recorded from 1942–1949. It belongs to the Rupee (1871-1972) currency system. Issuing authority and period recorded in the catalogue: George VI (1936-1952). It measures 101 × 51 mm and is printed on paper. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money lists the type…
Partial type record
Entries by catalogue category
- Modern World Coins14
- Postage Stamps3
- Banknotes2
Counts of published entries only. They describe this catalogue's holdings, not everything the issuer or maker produced.
Dated entries by century
- 19th century16
- 20th century3
Only the 19 entries carrying their own date to within about 150 years are counted, by the earliest year given. These are catalogue holdings, not production totals.
Materials recorded in the physical descriptions
- Silver7
- Copper6
- Paper2
An entry made of several materials is counted once under each. Materials are counted only where the description states them.
Browse other historical issuers and makers in the Atlas, or read how attributions are made in the editorial method.