CEYLON. Ceylon - Persia. Colombo. 22-1/2 Stuiver, ND (1688). PCGS VF-35 Gold Shield; Countermark: EF Details.8.96 gms. Scholten-1284 (RRRR); KM-51. Issued after resolution of the council of 4 September 1688 until 30 September after which all unstamped coins would no longer be current. Crude VOC surmounted by C (for Colombo) countermark applied to the obverse of an undated Persian large Abbassi (5 Shahi) of Safavid ruler Abbas II. An strongEXTREMELY/strongstrong RARE/strong denomination from this already rare series that seldom appears on the market. The countermark is slight unevenly applied with a slightly rusty punch. The host coin reasonably sharp though uneven. An nicely toned example displaying lovely medium grey tone atop of the devices with attractive russet patina in the protected areas.According to Scholten large shipments of Persian coins began to be imported into Coromandel about 1660, but states that this does not mean they were no longer in circulation in Ceylon. The above council resolution of 1688 also stated that there were many unstamped coins in still in circulation and after the deadline any unstamped coins would not long be current. Later on 27 January 1691 a public notice was issued warning against false counterstamped base metal coins in circulation and gave prescribed weights for genuine pieces.
