East India Company, Madras Presidency, gold Two Pagodas, 1807-18
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1807-18
This gold Two Pagodas coin from the East India Company's Madras Presidency is a representative of the second issue, specifically identified as type B/IV. Struck during the period between 1807 and 1818, the coin features a distinct design reflecting the intersection of British colonial administration and local cultural motifs.
The obverse depicts a seven-tiered gopuram—a traditional monumental temple entrance tower—flanked by nine stars on either side. This central motif is enclosed within an oval buckled garter that bears the inscription "two pagodas" alongside "do hun" (Two hun). The reverse side features the deity Vishnu holding a sword and rising from a lotus flower, framed by three concentric circles of decorative pellets. A ribbon surrounding this figure contains legends in Tamil and Telugu scripts, specifically denoting "2 vara kun" or "2 vara hun".
With a weight of 5.93 grams and struck with a 12 o'clock orientation, this gold specimen illustrates the transition of the Madras coinage system under the supervision of the mint master Benjamin Roebuck during the early 19th century.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Weight
- 5.93g
- Material
- gold
- Orientation
- 12h
Technical characteristics
- Issue
- second issue, type B/IV
- Denomination
- Two Pagodas
Design
- Obverse
- seven-tiered Gopuram, 9 stars either side, oval buckled garter inscribed 'two pagodas', 'do hun'
- Reverse
- Vishnu holding sword, rising from lotus, three concentric circles of pellets, ribbon inscribed in Tamil and Telugu '2 vara kun/2 vara hun'
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Recorded
- 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.