Sri Lanka 1988 5 cents
This specimen was lot 70211 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2022), where it sold for $80. The catalog description[1] noted, "SRI LANKA. 5 Cents, 1988. Llantrisant Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-66. KM 139a. This tremendous example offers a relatively sedate and less reflective Specimen from the Kings Norton Collection, though it is endlessly interesting on account of the square shape of the coin. Ex: Kings Norton Mint Collection." Ceylon was colonized successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. The British were the first to conquer the interior and rule the whole island. Ceylon received her independence in 1948 when the British left India. In 1972, Ceylon dropped its membership in the British Commonwealth and changed its name to Sri Lanka, which name is still in use. The nation has been torn by conflicts between Tamils and the majority Sinhalese. This type was struck in 1978, 1988 and 1991. As of August 2019, US$1 = 180 rupees, rendering the smaller denominations worthless.
Recorded mintage: 40,000,000.
Specification: 1 g, aluminum.
Catalog reference: KM 18.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
Links to: