ABSTRACT
The coins of the British in the Americas fall into three parts: North America up until the mid-1770s. Canada up until 1867 when it achieved dominion status, and the West Indies until each island achieved independence. India was, of course, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the British Empire, and the complexity of coinage associated with the British makes it the largest single numismatic subject covered by this review. In addition, it is this area of Imperial and Colonial coinage that has received most attention from members and publications of the Society. Close to India, the English East India Company acquired the island of Ceylon from the Dutch in 1795, although the interior was not conquered until 1815, and it became a British colony from 1802 until 1948. As with India, the early coins of the British period of occupation really have a local feel to them, although they were based on the earlier Dutch coins.
