1655 - 1660 - Dutch Ceilon
Galle GALL CounterMark
Silver SI double Tanga

The Galle City Countermark on the Indo-Portuguese double Tanga of 165x with Coat of arms of Portugal and São João struck in Goa from 1641-1655 during the reign of D. João IV (1640-1656) authorized it to continue circulation in Dutch Ceilon after 1655 as 10 Stuivers

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationTwo Tanga
AlloySilver
TypeStruck
Diameter19.9 mm
Thickness1.6 mm
Weight legal4.00 gms
Weight3.52 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeSmooth
DieAxis-45°
MintGoa,India
CounterMarkGalle
 165x_GA_SI_2tanga_cm_GALL_ag_obverse 165x_GA_SI_2tanga_cm_GALL_ag_reverse
Mitchiner #2144,2145 ; Scholten 1265 KM #55
Obverse : Crowned Coat of arms of Portugal divides G A (Goa) within a circle of dots between two plain line circles
Countermark GALL (Galle) upper right tilted about 30° to right.
Reverse : Standing figure Saint John facing right with flag divides S I (São João) and with year I65[?] divided below by figure all within a circle of dots between two plain line circles.

The countermark shown on right at 600 dpi is 0.23 inches or 5.8mm in diameter.

In accordance to a resolution of the Galle Council dated 1655 April 19th, Indo-Portuguese coins current at rate of 10, 6, and 5 stuivers were countermarked with a round stamp representing a monogram composed of letters GALL after they were tested by competent goldsmiths and declared genuine. A large number of counterfeits were in circulation at the time. Codrington (IX:5,p.109) states the double tanga was 10 Stuivers and the 6 Stuivers seems to be the heavier Malacca Type.

Illustrated in Mitchiner (2144) 164x, and (2145) of 1642.
Catalog of the Colombo Museum No 86 -- 4.22 grams.
Illustrated in Scholten (1265) who lists it as extremely rare (RRR).

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Chapter VIII Portuguese - Plate xxx. Page xxx
* The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories- 1601-1948
  C. Scholten, 1953, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman. page xxx-xxx
* Moedas Portuguesas 1128-1988, by Alberto Gomes. Lisbon 1987
* Indo Portuguese Money, by J Ferraro Vaz, . Braga, Portugal 1980 p.163/4
* Collection Henry Thomas Grogan, J. Schulman, Auction 23-02-1914.
* Non-Islamic and Western Colonies since 600 AD by by Michael Mitchiner.

The F grade coin Scaned at 600 dpi are displayed at 300 dpi. It is from part of Lalith Raddella's collection I purchased in 2016 December.