Cooch Behar Coinage

[Oesho]

(Shouldn't the left and right pic in Bhutan C be switched around?)

Yes Peter, strictly speaking it would have been in line with the others when the picture C has been swapped, but when I consult the book on The Coinage of Cooch Behar (Nicholas Rhodes & Shankar K. Bose, Calcutta 1999) all the illustrations are reversed. KM, on the other hand has the N-like figure in the centre as the obverse side.

You want to see the coins of Cooch Behar who served as a proto type for the Bhutan coinage.

Below I have listed some coins of Cooch Behar.

A) Cooch Behar, Nara Narayan (AD1555-1587). Silver rupee Sake 1477 (1555AD). (KM#30) This is regarded as the earliest issue of this State.

B) Cooch Behar, Lakshmi Narayan (AD1587-1627). Silver rupee Sake 1509/below 92 (=1602AD) (KM#45). The rupees become thinner and are struck on a wider flan.

C) Cooch Behar, Devendra Narayan (AD1764-1766). Silver 1/2 rupee, ND. (KM#121). After the Mughal occupation (1661-1663) by Aurangzeb Alamgir, Cooch Behar wasn't allowed anymore to strike full rupee denominations, but only half rupees. As the dies were much wider as the flans of the coins, the legend is only fragmental. Due to the small flans and large dies, the rulers initials of his name are off the flan. This makes it particularly difficult to attribute coins of Upendra, Devendra, Rajendra, Harendra, etc. The 1/2 rupee coins of Devendra Narayan have served as proto-types for the the Bhutanese currency.

D) Cooch Behar, Nripendra Narayan (AD1863-1911). Silver 1/2 nazarana rupee, CB354 (AD1864) (KM#180). The reverse as still the same inscription and layout as on the earlier issues of the State.

[Rangnath]

WOW!
I think that collection, from Cooch Behar to Bhutan, is INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Martin, since this was your original post, would you like to rename the subject? I was going to didn't want Peter to point out how much I am influenced by Hollywood! 
richie

[Figleaf]

I am running out of superlatives fast. Don't let it stop you. Oesho.

Sorry Richie. Maybe I should have mentioned Bollywood

Peter

[Rangnath]

I recently acquired a coin from Cooch Behar.  My rupee (wide flan, 10 grams) appears to be very similar to the one Oesho posted from the reign of Lakshmi Narayan.  Oesho listed the catalog number of that coin as Km 45. 
When I look in my 1601 - 1700 Standard Catalog or in Numismaster on line, I can not find either my coin nor a catalog number of 45.  My innocent and possibly painfully naïve questions are:
1. Why does the Standard Catalog not include this coin?
2. In which book does one find a Km 45?
Richie

[Oesho]

Your coin is indeed exactly as B) Cooch Behar, Lakshmi Narayan (AD1587-1627). Silver rupee Sake 1509/below 92 (=1602AD) (KM#45).
Lakhsmi ruled the western part of the kingdom till 1627. The eastern part of the kingdom was ruled by Raghu Deva 1581-1603. He in turn was succeeded by Parikshit Narayan 1603-1612.
The 17th century edition of KM starts with this ruler (KM#59). KM number are allotted to the earlier rulers too. These are listed in the Standard Catalogue to South Asian Coins and Paper Money.
This particular coin should have been listed in KM, but.... they have not.

[Rangnath]

Thank you for answers to both my questions. 
Though I did think that my coin and yours were of the same identical type, I was cautious about making that pronouncement for fear that you would say that the coin I possessed was but a poor imitation!
I am delighted to have a coin from Cooch Behar.  For me, it is the tie in to coins from Bhutan that make it special.
richie

[Oesho]

Nothing to worry, as I haven't the slightest doubt that the coin is perfectly genuine. A nice example.

[Rangnath]

I may finally have a Bhutanese prototype from Cooch Behar.  But exactly which one do I have? It is silver and it is 4.4 grams and was probably minted during some nasty royal upheaval. It looks very much like that of Oesho's from the reign of Devendra Narayan.  However, it weighs only 4.4 grams and there is a dot at 9:OO on the obverse.
Could this be a coin instead of one of the rulers that came after Devendra.  According to my standard catalog, the coins of Darendra and Harendra produced lighter 1/2 rupees.  Might not that be the one which I have? 
richie

[Oesho]

The centre line on the obverse reads "..Narayan", so the correct attribution to any of the rulers is unfortunately not possible.

[Rangnath]

Ah, a pity. I will keep my eyes open for a coin that can have an attribution. 
Thanks Oesho.
richie

[shariqkhan]

Very Nice Coins Indeed, They are getting extinct in India.

[Priyank Bhatia]

I recently Acquired 2 Cooch Behar Coins , from two different sources.
The First One is heavily Toned , Narrow Flan , KM 34.2 (as per the Seller ) .. Its so Heavily Toned , thats its practically Black in Colour (I just hope its not counterfeit !)

The Second Example is a much better one , but I am yet to get its custody , so , will upload better pics after 2~3 days when I get the coin in Hand .. I have started photographing my coins using a DSLR and a Macro Tube .. Please do give some healthy criticism on the quality of the pictures .. I try and make the picture look exactly like the coin looks in real life .

Experts , what is your opinion ?

Thanks for looking

[Gusev]

You change his mind to show new photos?
The first coin is very suspicious.
The second coin is also questionable.

[Figleaf]

Gusev is the expert. I do not want to pronounce myself on whether the coins are genuine or not. I just wanted to note that a black patina on a silver coin is easy to produce with sulphur. Any acid will take it off again. Use sparingly, stay with the coin and neutralise thoroughly.

Peter

[Gusev]

Thank you, Peter.
Yes, it is not difficult to make a high-quality patina.
But first you need to make high-quality counterfeit.
We can compare my coin. More nothing to comment.