Dutch VOC Ceylon
1796 Kolumbo Kas Nooten

Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (United Eest-India Company) by Plakaat of 1795 December 18th Notice was given to issue Paper Money of the denominations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 Ryksdaalders. The proclamation rehearses that owing to the threatened investment of Colombo by the British doubts had arisen among the populace about the ability of the Government to redeem the VOC Kredit Brieven and reassures them on this issue.

As the VOC Kredit Brieven was for large payments, the Kas Nooten (currency notes) were issued for the convenience of the public, redeemable in the same way, but not endorsed.

Denomination : 1 Ryxds Dutch : een Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග එකකට Thamil : இறையால ஒருறுககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
Pick S41
Denomination : 2 Ryxds Dutch : twee Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග දෙකකට Thamil : இறையால இரண்டுககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
(PhotoShop image)		Pick S42
Denomination : 3 Ryxds Dutch : drie Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග තුනකට Thamil : இறையால மூன்றுககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
Pick S43
Denomination : 4 Ryxds Dutch : vier Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග හතරකට Thamil : இறையால நாணுககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
Click to see Another		Pick S44
Denomination : 5 Ryxds Dutch : vyf Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග පහකට Thamil : இறையால அஞகிககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
Click to see Another		Pick S45
Denomination : 10 Ryxds Dutch : tien Ryxds Sinhala : පතාග දහයකට Thamil : இறையால பத்துககு Size : 102 x 68 mm Date : 1 January 1796
Click to see Another		Pick S46

Front: Within an ornamented rectangular frame, Circular hand stamps of the Companies Monogram surmounted with a C in upper left and lower right corners and the Arms of Colombo in upper right and lower left corners. At center large Numeral value intersecting legend Goed voor ... Ryxds in Dutch, පතාග ...කට හොදයි. in Sinhala and இறையால ...ககு நல்லது in Thamil. The signatures above and below of
Christiaan van Angelbeek Hoofd Administrateur (Chief Administrator) Abraham Samlent Negotie Boekhouder (Negotiating Bookkeeper)

Back: KOLUMBO den I. JANUARY 1796 printed centered on top.
. Below which hand written in English the registration Number in words (erased) above text Bearing Interest 3 pCent for Annum Below Black rectangular Personal Seal of COL.STUART with Persian text in middle of Signature Geo  ⬛ Gregory over Reg?
George Gregory was Collector for Colombo.
WaterMark : None
Printed : Dutch Press in Colombo Fort which was founded in 1737 (Based on Sinhala & Tamil Fonts).
Size : 4 x 2⅔ inch measured on these notes from Colombo National Museum collection, which were scanned by me at 300 dpi.

Note that all of "dot"s above the Thamil characters are missing from the crudely printed Thamil Text.

In 1924 H. W. Codrington in his monograph Ceylon Coins and Currency describes the two Ryxds note in the Colombo Museum which is now unfortunately lost or misplaced. Description does not include the Endorsement in English. the Signature and Black rectangular personal Seal of Colonel James Stuart who led the British troops to take Ceylon from the Dutch, at the bottom. They were added by the British under Article 6 of the Capitulation of Colombo, after they accepted the liability for up to £50,000 of VOC Kredit Brieven and Kas Nooten still in Circulation and pay interest at 3% per Annam, payable half yearly.

In 1938 B. W. Fernando in his book Ceylon Currency British Period 1796-1936, published image of Colombo Museum VOC 1 Rxyd specimen with Registration Number One Hundred & Seventy Seven
. In 1958 H. L. Caldera in his Sinhala Booklet Coins and Currency of Ceylon published by Colombo National Museum showed image of Colombo Museum VOC 5 Ryxds specimen.

The Thamil Plakkaaten of 1795 December 18 has signed images of the VOC 5 Rxyds and 10 Rxyds notes. Looking for the Dutch and Sinhala versions which may have the other 4 denominations.

A VOC 4 Ryxds note sold at Netherlands Zwiggelaar Auction 30 Lot 239 which was estimated at €3,000-€6,000 and sold for €26,000+BP on 2023 December 6th.

I thank Pathum Egodawatta of the Akuru group for recognising the Sinhala and Tamil fonts used on the currency as those developed by the Dutch Press, and from that identifying the Printer.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Chapter X Dutch - Page 124, 144


Note. The VOC Kas Nooten when issued did not have serial numbers.
When the liability was taken over by the British and made Bonds paying 3% interest via the endorsement, a registration number would have been added. The Digital 2 Ryxds dollar note image was created using PhotoShop of 3 Ryxds to match description by HWC. The shape of the 2 and same in Sinhala and Thamil was copied from the 1806 2 Rix Dollar note which was also printed with the same fonts of the Dutch Press, which had been taken over by the British. Image at 300 dpi displayed at 50 dpi.

Warning These Notes have been replicated and Sold as Replica on eBay. I suspect some of these replicas have been degraded to look old and sold on eBay as genuine. The hand signature is identical and at same exact location. To confirm look under very high magnification, or scan without descreen at 1200dpi. In the replica the signature ink line is clearly printed as dots.

Please contact kavan @ gmail.com if I have made errors in encoding the Thamil in Unicode.