KOTCT

Worldwide Coins & Bank Notes => Other World Coins => Topic started by: NumisMatty on December 06, 2007, 09:58:45 PM

Title: Mysterious coin to identify!
Post by: NumisMatty on December 06, 2007, 09:58:45 PM

I'm thinking here Dumanyu will get this one, but it's open for anyone to identify/try to identify this for me...

I received it yesterday in a 10 KG lot! The first time I have sorted through such an immense pile of metal...

(http://i19.tinypic.com/8fopm36.jpg)

(http://i1.tinypic.com/85fwuth.jpg)

Title: Re: Mysterious coin to identify!
Post by: Sap on December 07, 2007, 12:53:49 AM

British India, Bengal Presidency, copper pice. The "date" is Year 37 of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (which corresponds to 1797 AD), but the British struck coins with this same date "frozen" until the East India Company series commenced in the 1830's. KM 56 or KM 57 are matching examples.

Title: Re: Mysterious coin to identify!
Post by: NumisMatty on December 07, 2007, 01:52:09 AM

Thanks again Sap! My favourite know-it-all is on the ball again to identify another little gem ;D
I doubt it's worth much, but Mughal Empire? - weren't they removed shortly after?....fascinating stuff...

Title: Re: Mysterious coin to identify!
Post by: Sap on December 07, 2007, 12:24:04 PM

Quote from: NumisMatty on December 07, 2007, 01:52:09 AM

...Mughal Empire? - weren't they removed shortly after?....fascinating stuff...

The ruler named on the coin, Shah Alam II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Alam_II), died in 1805 under British "protection"; this coin was likely made quite a while after that. Using the deceased Emperor's name (and failing to indicate exactly when they were actually made) gave the coins an air of legitimacy with the locals that an outright colonial issue might not have had at that time.