Ceylon 1640 tanga

Stephen Album sale 37, lot 1658

This specimen was lot 1658 in Stephen Album sale 37 (Santa Rosa, CA, June 2020), where it sold for $214.20. The catalog description^[1] noted, "CEYLON (PORTUGUESE): AR tanga, 1640, small flan split, a couple tiny reverse rim nicks, excellent strike, deeply toned, one-year type, VF." The Portuguese conquered the coastline of Ceylon in the mid sixteenth century but were unable to keep their grip in the face of Dutch attacks and they withdrew in the mid seventeenth century. The Dutch ruled the coast (the interior remained independent) until the British seized the entire island in the 1790's. The Portuguese issued a few crude copper coins for their domain but most Portuguese minting was done in Goa, on the mainland.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, this specimen 2.25 g.

Catalog reference: KM-9.2.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• Alberto Gomes and Francisco Antonio Magro, Moedas Portuguesas e do Território Que Hoje é Portugal: Catálogo das Moedas Cunhadas para o Continentes e Ilhas Adjacentes, para os Territórios do Ultramar e Grão-Mestres Portugueses da Ordem de Malta, 6ª Edição, Lisbon: Associação Numismática de Portugal, 2013.
• ^[1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 37, featuring the Gamal Amer Collection of Egyptian Coins and the Ahmed Sultan Collection of Ottoman Coins, Part II, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2020.

Link to:

• Ceylon (1598-1621) 1/4 bazaruco
• Ceylon 1642 tanga
• Coins and currency dated 1640