Rewa

[andyg]

Half Paise
Paisa, 7.6g

"Agent Bushby Saheb"

[Figleaf]

Mind boggling. I took a while before I realised what the lettering says.

More info here (final paragraph.)

Peter

[Oesho]

Half Paise ?
7.6g

Most likely this must be a paisa. The double paisa weighs between 15.52-15.95 g.

[andyg]

Most likely this must be a paisa. The double paisa weighs between 15.52-15.95 g.

That's what Krause says, but my confusion was caused by searching the forum and a certain post from long ago from someone posting under the name of Oesho.  It's quite likely I misunderstood the original post, but anyhow I ended up confused.

http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,4044.msg24598.html#msg24598

[brokencompass]

Very Interesting Numismatic History!

[asm]

............  It's quite likely I misunderstood the original post, but anyhow I ended up confused.

It so appears. Oesho clearly mentions:

............. The coins in the name of Agent Bushby Sahib ( KM#26 & 27) are slightly heavier 15.52-15.53 g. and half of it for the half paisa (KM#24).

Amit

[Oesho]

Sorry to have left your folks in confusion. 
What should be regarded as a paisa, a half paisa or a double paisa?
During Mughal times the common denomination in copper was the ‘dam’ of about 20 g. Later on, particular in Rajasthan, this denomination became to be known as a ‘Takka’, which was equal to two paisas. The paisa, therefore, was about 10 g.
Over the years there was a constant decrease in weight of the takka or double paisa. Any copper coin say from about 15 to 20 g. must still be regarded as a double paisa, and subsequently the half of it as a paisa. I am sorry that I confused some of you, but in view of the above, my earlier remarks should, in respect of the denomination, be disregarded.

This  is quite in line with the article of Ken Wiggins in the ONS-NL 142 (Autumn 1994) pp.10-13: Coinage in the Rewah State in the 19th century. In this article the coins of about 15 g. are described as a double paisa and the half of it as a paisa.

The coin which creates the most confusion is the copper coin with a large 1 on it, known as ‘Ekaidur’.  According to Wiggins there seems “no doubt that this name was given to the double paisa and paisa of 14.9 and 7.5 grams respectively which have zarb Rewan on the obverse and a Nagari figure 1 on the reverse. Ek means one, but the remainder of the word (Ekaidur) is obscure. The term intended may have been ekadha which means ‘one or two’ and could have been a reference to the two denominations of the coin.” He adds in a footnote: “The fact that the double paisa and paisa both have the figure one on them would explain the term used to describe these coins. Prinsep in his Useful Tables list the Rewasahi of 220 grains (14.25 grams) at 46 to the rupee and notes that it has a kind of Nagari figure one.”

Nevertheless the denomination for copper coins may differ from one place to another and often known by various names, so was the coin with the ‘Agent Bushby Saheb’ legend known as Bagghasahi (Bagh means tiger in Hindi).

[andyg]

Thanks Oesho, if I'd not been confused I would not have posted this one and we'd have missed quite an interesting discussion!