The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Pulta Mint: Prinsep’s coinage, silver Pattern Fulus or Quarter-Anna to the weight-standard of a Rupee in the name of ‘Shah ‘Alam II (1173-1221h/1759-1806), 1195h, yr 22 [December 1780-April 1781], unsigned, shah alam badshah 1195 [Shah ‘Alam emperor 1195], rev. sanah 22 julus [in the 22nd year of his reign], stars below, beaded rims, security edge straight-grained with raised centre line, 24mm, 11.85g/6h (Prid. – [not in Sale]; Stevens 3.10, this coin illustrated, recté silver; Stevens website image 1523, this coin, recté silver; KM. –). Extremely fine, an exceptional and intriguing coin, believed unique [certified and graded NGC AU 58]
£3,000-£4,000

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

View
Collection

V.M. Brand Collection, Spink Auction 50 (London), 6-7 March 1986, lot 229
CNG Mailbid Sale 69, 8 June 2005 (2065)
D. Fore Collection, Part II, Baldwin Auction 82 (London), 31 May 2013, lot 879, recté silver.

Owner’s ticket and envelope.

Literature:

Illustrated in Paul Stevens, The Coins of the Bengal Presidency, p.134
Illustrated in Paul Stevens, The Coins of the English East India Company, Presidency Series: A Catalogue and Pricelist, p.34.

The cataloguer is indebted to Dr Gary Oddie for his assistance in determining the metal content of this coin, which can be confirmed as 96.9% silver, 1.14% copper, 0.15% gold, and other minor trace elements.

According to the published literature, John Prinsep is not known to have struck any silver coins prior to 1784, but the security edge and the weight of this piece, even though it bears the design of the contemporary quarter-anna, suggest that he intended it to be a pattern for a silver coin, most likely a smaller-diameter rupee with an edge that shroffs and others could trust