This blog is meant to display my coins/currency notes, in an informative manner, which would be useful to users in knowing about the history of the period when these coins were minted/persons & imp events they honour/depict, both during British India and Post Independence India. I will also put up information on some foreign coins/currency notes. The content would be more in the nature of a "walk down memory lane" through my collection/articles.EVEN YOU CAN ADD YOUR COLLECTIONS.
1) EAST INDIA COMPANY QUARTER ANNA COPPER COIN WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIRST ISSUES UNDER THE COINAGE ACT 1835
In 1833 the Governor General Lord William Cavendish Bentinck approved a plan by the Calcutta mint for standardizing the coinage of the British Empire in India, which was passed into an Act termed “The Coinage Act” by the Governor General Sir Charles Metcalf on August 17, 1835. The single coinage for the East India Company consisted of Copper coins (1/12 , quater and half annas), silvercoins ( quarter, half and one rupee) and gold mohurs (one and two rupees) . In 1841 silver two annas were added . This coinage continued even after the East India Company was taken over by the Crown and these coins were issued till 1862.
The quarter anna coin depicted here was one of the first issues under the standard coinage. It's details and dimensions are as under:
Quarter anna (Copper) : Plain edge: Size: 25.3/26.2 mm. Weight: 6.47 grams. Issue date: 1835.
The obverse side shows the Coat of Arms of the East India Company.
George V was the son of King Edward VII and was made the King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions and Emperor of India from 6th May 1910 to 20 January 1936 upon the passing away of his father. Indian coins were minted with his portrait/effigy from 1911 onwards till the time of his death. Coins in India were issued in the of denominations of one rupee, half rupee , quarter rupee and two annas (all in silver), and 1/12 anna ,half pice, quarter anna, one anna, two anna and four annas (all in copper) during his reign .
Pig Coins: In 1911, on quite a few denominations of coins issued the King was shown wearing a robe with a small elephant on it. Unfortunately, the trunk of the elephant appeared to be like the snout of a pig and it’s legs were depicted as short and stout due to space constraints on the coin surface. The overall appearance was that of a pig which would have been offensive to the sensibilities of some religions. These coins termed the “Pig coins” were withheld from circulation and reissued with a proper elephant design.
Coins were issued in the following denominations in silver and copper during his reign:
Silver coins – Fifteen rupees, one rupee, half rupee, quarter rupee and two annas.
Copper coins: Four annas, two annas, one anna, ¼ anna(one pice), half pice and 1/12 anna (one pie)
During the period of World War I (1914 to 1918) , for a short duration of time due to the increase in silver prices, the half rupee , quarter rupee and two annas were replaced by cupro-nickel coins ( eight annas, four annas and two annas but these proved to be quite unpopular, as such the silver coins production was started once again , notwithstanding the costs.
Now having read the details of George V's reign above, I am going to ask you a "trick" question. Look closely at the coin given above. It was issued in 1939 , i.e. the year in which one of the most intricate and beautiful rupee coins is said to have been minted. What is wrong with this coin?
Well, the answer is simple. Georve V died in January 1936, whereas this coin is dated 1939 and shows his effigy instead of George VI's portrait. Obviously, this is a counterfeit coin.
I have shown here a one quarter anna coin from 1934, which is unfortunately the only genuine george V copper coin which I own