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Coin - 1/2 Rupee, Banaras, India, 1811-1812 Reg. No: NU 27653

Summary:: 1/2 Rupee, Issued by East India Company, Bengal, India, 1226 AH; RY 17 and 49 (AD 1811-1812)
Minted by Muhammadabad Banaras
Statement Of Significance:: The obverse of the coins has the Hijri year 1226 and the reverse the two regnal years (RY) a frozen 17 and 49. The East India Company had insisted on the frozen RY 17 to stop the coins being devalued when a new RY year appeared in circulation. The intention seems to have been miss understood, although the frozen 17 was complied with, the correct RY dating was continued until the death of the Emperor in RY 49 after which this date too was frozen. Shah Alam II died on 18 November 1806.

This coin is unusual in that the tops of all four numerals if the Hijri date, 1226, can be read. From AH 1229 the Hijri date too becomes frozen.

These coins were called Machhlidar (head of a fish) 1/2 rupees because their design includes a fish, a badge adopted by Sadat Khan who, shortly before being appointed Subahar of Oudh in 1720, while praying with outstretched arms beside the river Jumma, had a fish leap from the water into his hands. Although the dies depicted a full fish, in most cases, until 1815, only the head half appeared on the coins.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Eric Wodak - Numismatics

Tagged with:	british empire coins, british commonwealth and empire coins
Themes this item is part of:	Numismatics & Philately Collection
Primary Classification:	COINS
Secondary Classification:	India - Banaras
Tertiary Classification:	working strikes
Series:	British India
DateEra:	1811-1812 AD
Denomination:	1/2 Rupee
Obverse Description:	Persian legend (some off flan) with fish and sun and date 1226
Reverse Description:	Persian legend (some off flan) with RY dates 17 and 49
Edge Description:	Plain
Shape:	round
Material:	Silver
Issued By:	East India Company, Bengal, India, 1811-1812
Mint:	Banaras (Mint), Banaras (Varanasi), Bengal, India, 1811-1812
References:	Pridmore 281
Bibliography:	[Book], Major Fred Pridmore, The Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Part 4, India, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1975