The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bombay Presidency, European Minting, 1791-4, Soho, copper Pattern One-and-a-Half Pice or 6 Reas, 1791, unsigned [perhaps by R. Dumarest], balemark, rev. small scales, adil [Justice] below pans, edge straight-grained, 9.67g/6h (Prid. 124 [Sale, lot 477]; Stevens 8.13; KM. 194). Good extremely fine with original colour, excessively rare, very few specimens known [certified and graded NGC PF 63 BN]
£2,000-£3,000

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

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Collection

P. Snartt (Bristol, UK) Collection [acquired post-April 1978]
SNC (London) May 1980 (3807), ticket.

Two owner’s tickets and envelope.

One of a very small number of pattern one-and-a-half pice coined in early February 1791, prior to the reverse design being amended (see footnote to Lot 412). The Pridmore specimen passed to David Fore (Part II, lot 921); at least one other (British Museum, ex Sara Sophia Banks 160-88) is known. Sue Tungate (p.210) suggests that the artist responsible was Rambert Dumarest (1750-1806) and, although there can be no certainty of Dumarest’s hand in these coins he was, in the fitful and frequent absences of Jean-Pierre Droz in the early weeks of 1791, fully engaged in most of the die work at Soho at that time