COINS.

171

Batavian copper half-stuiver of 1644. Except for an issue
of thick copper stuivers, and its fractions stamped “ST »
without a wreath, the early currency of the Dutch wag
minted in Europe. They consist of a few gold ducats,
ducatoons, half-ducatoons, ten-, six-, two-, and one-stuiver
pieces in silver, and duits and half-duits in copper: these
lagt show on the obverse the monogram “V.0.C.” (Vereenight
 Oost Indische Compagnie-—United East India Company),
 and on the reverse the arms of the State by which they
were issued, namely, Holland, Zealand, Finland, Gelderland,
Utrecht, &amp;c., from the year 1783. A series of coarsely executed
two-stuiver and one-stuiver copper pieces and a few leaden
duits were issued locally, the handiwork of the native
smiths ; the metal was greatly debased, and the currency in
a state of confusion, A paper currency of six denominations,
the highest being ten rix-dollars, was issued in 1796, in
which year the Dutch Settlements were ceded to the
British.
The first issue of the English coins, which was in silver
and copper, was a slight improvement on the thick Dutch
coins, and showed an elephant on the obverse and the legend
“ Ceylon Government” with the value on the reverse. Fresh
types on the European model were issued in 1802 and 1815,
both issues being struck in England : a silver fanam,
2 inch in diameter, was issued in 1820, and a silver rixdollar
 in 1821, The present currency consists of the rupee,
minted in Calcutta, and its decimal fractions minted at
Birmingham for the Ceylon Government, and a paper
currency of which the highest denomination is Rs. 1,000.
The sovereign is also legal tender at Rs. 15.
A representative collection of Ceylon coins is exhibited by
Mr. E. Booth.
The complete book on Ceylon Numismatics has not yet
been written, but the collector is referred to the article by
Professor Rhys Davids, sometime of the Ceylon Civil
Service, in the “ Numismata Orientalia,” Captain Tufnell’s
“ Hints to Coin Collectors in Southern India,” Van der Chys’
de Munten van der Nederlandsche Indie, Mr. Thurston's
Catalogue of Coins in the Madras Museum, Colonel Lowsley’s
““Coing and Tokens of Ceylon” in the “Numismatic
Chronicle” for 1895, and the reports of the Archmological
Commissioner in Ceylon, Mr. H. C. P. Bell, C.C.8.
The Director of Public Instruction furnishes an exhaustive
zollection of the Educational works in use in the Island,
‘ssued both by the Government and private bodies, the Lace
work made by the girls of Aided Schools, samples of the
Carpentry turned out at the various Industrial Schools,