English: A banknote issued by the United East India Company denominated in Ryksdaalders designed to circulate in the Dutch colony of Ceylon.

Front: No ... Goed voor Ryksdaalders 5 (huge in rectangle). Zegge VYF Ryksdaalders. WY ondergetekende Certificeeren, dat Thoonder dee-zes, by de Compagnie te goet heeft Vyf Ryksdaalders van 48 zwaare Stuyvers, Indisch-Geld. voor welkers waerde dees Kreditbrief overal ten deezen Eilande gangbaar zal gehouden worden

(In Dutch)

ඉලක්කම පතාග පහකට හොදයි ෴ මෙක පෙනනන අයගෙ: ඊන්දියාවෙ මුදල්වු පතාගයට ඉස්තිබ්‍රි හතලිස් අටගනනේ පතාග පහක් කොම්පඤෙඤ්වෙත තිබෙනබව මෙහි පහ ල අතහන්කල අපි එලිදරවු කරනවායැ. එවෙනි ගනනට මෙ විස්වාසකෙරිමෙ ලිවුම මෙ දිවයි නේ සැමතැනම වලගුවෙනඩ යෙදේයැ.

(in Sinhala)

இலககம இறையால ௫. ககு நலலது இதைககாணபிககிறவாகளுடைய முதல இநதியாலின னானையம இறையாலுககு இஸததிவிரி நாறபததெடடு வீதம இறையால ௫. கொமபஞஞியலிலெ யிருககிறபடிககு இதின கீளெ கையெளுதது வைககபபடட நாஙகள நிசஞ சொலலுகிறொம. இவவிலஙகைத தீவுககடுதத சகலலிடஙகளிலும இநத முதலொடுககுக கடதாகியநதது கைககு வளஙகுமபடிககு யொததுககொளளபபடும.

(in Tamil, transcribed by Prof. Paramu Pushparathnam of University of Jaffna, this is an older form of Tamil Text).

KOLUMBO den 17. SEPTEMBER Anno 1795.

Note that all of "dot"s (pulli matra) above the Tamil characters on this Letter of Credit are missing from the crudely printed Tamil inscription, as was the case in all forms of currency around the 1850's, after which they would appear on currency.

The reverse side of the "Kredit brief" shows handwritten endorsements for its usage indicating that it was used as late as 1912, with some of the endorsements being written in the Tamil language. The size of the Rubber Seal that was affixed to the document is also stamped on the Dutch Kasnoot measured in National Museum note, was used to estimated that this scan is 100 dpi. The black rectangular seal belongs to "Col. James Stuart" and features his name in the Persian language.

Col. Stuart was a British military officer who conquered the island of Ceylon from the Dutch during the French Revolutionary Wars. Following their occupation of the island the British accepted the liability for up to £ 50.000,- of Kredit Brieven and Kas Nooten still in Circulation on Ceylon and they agreed to pay 3% (three percent) interest on them to the bearers.

According to Rudolf "Rudi" Boekel the word "Zegge" featured on the credit note is an older Dutch term for for "Zeggen", which translates into the English-language as "To say". This term appeared on banknotes from the Netherlands until +/- 1850 and in the context of this letter of credit its indication means that the value of this letter of credit should be expressed through vocalisation as not every person was literate during this period in history. At the time Dutch law ordered all written texts to be said to illiterate people so they wouldn't miss understanding the content of written documents. VOC Plakkaatwn likewise had the text "To all who will see and read this and to those who will hear it being read, salute" (greeting). on them to indicate that they would be read aloud by town criers, special people who would read and then shout these types publications in public, so the people around them weren't able to deny understanding what was written down on them. According to the website Lakdiva.com this Dutch law might still be in force as contemporary (2010's) Dutch cheques still contained this type of language on them (in particular the word "Zegge").

Note 4 (Four) of the Tamil vowel sign 'e' ெ is written with vowel sign 'ee' ே. It is ignored in this text like the dots pulli matra. A more correct version of the Tamil text would be:

இலக்கம் இறையால் ௫. க்கு நல்லது. இதைக் காண்பிக்கிறவர்களுடைய முதல் இந்தியாவின் னானையம் இறையாலுக்கு இஸ்த்திவிரி நாற்பத்தெட்டு வீதம் இறையால் ௫. கொம்பஞ்ஞியவிலே யிருக்கிறபடிக்கு இதன் கீளே கையெளுத்து வைக்கப்பட்ட நாங்கள் நிசஞ் சொல்லுகிறோம். இவ்விலங்கைத் தீவுக்கடுத்த சகலலிடங்களிலும் இந்த முதலோடுக்குக் கடதாசி யந்தது கைக்கு வனங்கும்படிக்கு யொத்துக் தொள்ளப்படும்.

Additional corrections made to the Tamil text would read like this:

இலக்கம் இறையால் ௫. க்கு நல்லது. இதைக் காண்பிக்கிறவர்களுடைய முதல் இந்தியாவின் நாணயம் இறையாலுக்கு இஸ்த்திவிரி நாற்பத்தெட்டு வீதம் இறையால் ௫. கொம்பஞ்ஞியவிலே இருக்கிறபடிக்கு இதன் கீழே கையெழுத்து வைக்கப்பட்ட நாங்கள் நிஜம் சொல்லுகிறோம். இவ்விலங்கைத் தீவுக்கடுத்த சகலவிடங்களிலும் இந்த முதலோடுக்குக் கடதாசி யானது கைக்கு வழங்கும்படிக்கு ஒத்துக் கொள்ளப்படும்

(Corrections made by Type Designer Tharique Azeez, mostly public domain text with small alterations, difference in spelling could change the words. These are a number of differences between old Jaffna Thamil / Malayalam and modern Tamil).

According to the work "Codrington CCC" on page 143; The final issue of the United East India Company's (VOC's) "Kredit Brief" type notes was dated September 17th, 1795 were of 5 Ryksdaalders (Ryxds) and 10 Ryksdaalders (Ryxds) Notes. The highest known number of an authorised "Kredit Brief" have a nominal value 814 Ryksdaalders and 777 Ryksdaalders, respectively. During this time a total of 12,025 Ryksdaalders (Ryxds) was issued by the United East India Company (VOC).