Ceylon 25 Cents Silver Coin 1893 Queen Victoria
Twenty Five Cents
Obverse: Young Head of Queen Victoria to left wearing a diadem. A fret border broken by the legend VICTORIA QUEEN, along periphery.
Reverse: A Talipot palm in the center dividing denomination 25, "CEYLON" within an ornamental scroll above, the denomination "25 CENTS" in English (center) . Denomination in tamil (25 SATHAM = 25 CENTS.) left, denomination in sinhalese (SATHER VISIPAHA = cents twenty five) right.
Engraver: Leonard Charles Wyon.
Mint: (no mintmark) = Royal Mint, London.
Years: 1892-1900.
Value: 25 Cents.
Metal: Silver (.800).
Weight: 2.9160 g.
Diameter: 17.85 mm.
Thickness: 1.4 mm.
Shape: Round.
Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera) The great fanpalm, native of Ceylon. The cylindrical trunk reaches a height of 60, 70, or 100 feet, and is covered with a tuft of fan-like leaves, usually about 18 feet in length and 14 in breath. The leaves are used for covering houses, for making umbrellas and fans, and as a substitute for paper. When the tree has attained its full growth, the flower spike bursts from its envelope.
The colonial dime size coinage of Ceylon (known as Sri Lanka now) with a denomination of 25 cents of a rupee was minted by the Branch mints of the Royal Mint at Bombay and Calcutta and at the Royal Mint, London. The first issue, dated 1892 was shipped from London with Victoria wearing a diadem portrait of
L.C.Wyon.