East India Company, Madras Presidency, Later coinages: Moghul style, gold Mohur, 1817-18 issue, Arkat, sikka mubarak badshah ghazi aziz-ul-din muhammad alamgir [The auspicious coin of the victorious emperor chosen of the faith of Muhammad Alamgir], frozen date 1172h above, rev. zarb arkat sanat 6 julus maimanat manus [Struck at Arkat in the 6th year of tranquil prosperity], 11.69g/12h (Prid. 238 [Sale, lot 401]; Stevens 4.1; KM. 418; F 1584). Tiny obverse rim nick at 1 o’clock, otherwise about extremely fine, retaining original brilliance [certified and graded NGC AU 58] £1,000-£1,500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Puddester Collection.

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SNC (London) February 1982 (743), ticket.

Owner’s ticket.

By a proclamation of 9 December 1817 the standard circulating medium in Madras became the silver rupee, subsuming the old pagoda system. Gold rupees (mohurs), and their fractions, struck in late 1817 and 1818, were declared current from 7 January 1818 and may be distinguished from previous issues bearing the fixed date of 1172h by the closed lotus flower they bear. The designs of the gold and silver coins were near-identical and, to prevent the circulation of imitations and gilt copies, it was decided to call in the gold, most of which was in the form of mohurs, and re-issue the three denominations with a revised design incorporating the arms of the Company from March 1819. The gold third-mohur, conceived as the equivalent to five silver rupees, entered circulation on 15 May 1820 and quickly became the only small gold coin struck at Madras in the years prior to the introduction of the uniform system in 1835