| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Denomination | 4.5 pence |
| Alloy | copper |
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Thickness | mm |
| Weight | 4.01 gms |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| DieAxis | O° |
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| Atkins #99 Lowsley #25 Pridmore #33 Mitchiner #2243 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Obverse : | Centered bust to left, uncrowned, of Queen Victoria | COFFEE PICKER'S CHIT | above along periphery within dotted circle inside raised rim. |
| Reverse : | 4D½ | PILO FERNANDO * COLOMBO * | along periphery within dotted circle inside raised rim. |
The tokens valued at 4½ was the amount paid for a day's set labour task of picking half-a-hundred weight of clean coffee.
See also rectangular portrait shape token
of half the value, although of practically the same weight.
The different shapes were doubtless sensibly adopted in order that workers might more easily understand the payment given to 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.
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 CE 600 - 1979 by Michael Mitchiner (#2243)
The token was scanned at 300dpi and the images are displayed at
250dpi.
This beautifully toned almost unc token was purchased from a dealer in USA in 200?.
It was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 250 dpi.
A very fine condition coin was purchased on ebay in
December 1998.
It has a small jewelry-like ring weld to
obverse, indicating it was probably used as a pendent