1942? - Ceylon

G.P.O. Token

A Cu-Ni token from Ceylon which was used in General Post Office (G.P.O.) phone Booths. They may have replaced the GPO countermarked 10 cent coin.

SPECIFICATIONS Value Ten cents Alloy Cu-Ni Diameter 15.5 mm Thickness 1.10 mm Weight 1.12 gms Shape Round Edge Plain DieAxis O°
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Obverse : Carries crown at center
Reverse : Has + G.P.O.+ at top and CEYLON at bottom along the periphery.

This token of the same diameter and weight of the definitive Ten cent silver coin which was demonetized by proclamation of Governor dated 1942 December 3rd with effect from 1943 February 28th. At 1.1 mm it is slighty thicker than the 0.75 mm Ten cent coin.

Mark Freehill reports in column Numismatic Odyssey of World Coins 1969 December issue (Vol 6 #72, Page 1388)
A letter from the postmaster general and director of telecommunications, Colombo, Ceylon, confirms that this piece is indeed a telephone token.
In Ceylon 10 cent silver coins were used by the public to obtain calls through the manual exchange operator; the pieces are placed in the box on the request of the operator.
During World War II, 10 cent coins were demonetized and replaced by paper money and the Postal and Telecommunications department supplied these tokens to replace the 10 cent coins used in telephone boxes.
The tokens were sold at the postoffice counters and other public counters at 10 cents each. They are no longer in use, and it is not now possible to say how many were issued by the department.