Coin, 1/96 Rupee, Madras Presidency, India, 1797
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1797 AD
1/2 Dub or 1/96 Rupee, Issued by, Northern Circars, Madras Presidency, India, 1797 Minted by Soho Mint, Birmingham Obverse: Within a broad rim, the company arms, a quartered shield (oval crowned Royal shield in the first quarter of the shield else plain); crest of a helm with lion holding the Imperial Crown; lion supporters, each holding a banner charged with a cross; below incuse on ribbon, UNITED EAST INDIA CO.; below ribbon, 96; on rim below, TO ONE RUPEE; around above, incuse on rim, the motto, AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLICAE.
Reverse: Within a broad rim, the company balemark; around above, incuse on rim, UNITED EAST INDIA COMPANY; below, incuse on rim, 1797. Edge: incuse, ENGLISH UNITED EAST INDIA COMPANY.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The territory known as the Northern Circars was ceded to the EIC by the Nizam of Hyderabad on 12 November 1766. Coinage consisted of gold pagodas, silver rupees and copper dubs. The copper dub was rated at 48 to the rupee (as stated on this coin) but was not accepted by the government in payment with the result that it market value fluctuated, often 10% in a single day.
To end this situation a large orde of copper coins was made with the Soho MInt, Birmingham, England in 1794. There, Matthew Boulton was experimenting withstriking legends into a raised rim on coins and tokens, to increase their circulation life by resisting wear. The EIC elected a design which combined both raised and incuse lettering and ordered coins of 1/48th and 1/96th rupee.
Shipment began on 8 November 1794, with 4,616,129 1/48th and 9,102,868 96th pieces sent by 4 March 1795. The coins proved successful and a second large order was placed in 1796 (the coins dated 1797, the year they would be issued). This coins comes from the second issue, one of 10,540,223 issued.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Copper
- Dimensions
- Overall Dimensions: 24.5 mm (Outside Diameter), 6.56 g (Weight)
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Soho (Mint)
- Place recorded
- India
- Series recorded
- British India
- Denomination recorded
- 1/96 Rupee
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Museums Victoria, Melbourne collection record for this single object (sentences kept verbatim apart from removed sale or rarity wording); how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Candidate id
- mv-67352
- Museum object name
- Coin - 1/96 Rupee, Madras Presidency, India, 1797
- Holding institution
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne
- Museum object number
- NU 27319
- Published references
- Pridmore 316 KM#397
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and dating against a specialist reference; this entry documents one recorded example.