Coins of the British Commonwealth - Bharatpur.

Started by BC Numismatics, July 23, 2007, 11:05:07 PM

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BC Numismatics

Here's another section that will be of interest to some members.It is about the coins of Bharatpur,which were issued under British suzerainty.

Bharatpur was the only Indian princely state to issue hammered coins that actually depicted Queen Victoria just like on British & British Indian coins.

Aidan.

Figleaf

Quote from: BC Numismatics on July 23, 2007, 11:05:07 PM
Bharatpur was the only Indian princely state to issue hammered coins that actually depicted Queen Victoria just like on British & British Indian coins.

Not that it matters a lot, but that's a misunderstanding. Attached is Bindraban Y2.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

BC Numismatics

Peter,what denomination is that coin from Bindraban? There's a note in Krause (my extremely old 1981 Krause!) that says that Bindraban was not actually a native state in the strict sense.

That is a very clear portrait depicted on that coin.

Aidan.

Figleaf

Bindraban is a town plus some surrounding land. At the time, it was trying to become independent. KM makes the point that it never quite succeeded. The coins are a mixture of influences of surrounding states, which explains the portrait. Y 2 is a half rupee.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Oesho

A disappointment for the owner of this item, the 1/2 rupee coin illustrated above is in fact a forgery. A die has been made of a genuine 1/4 rupee coin (1/2 rupees of this very type are extremely rare to non-existing). The lines of the inscription stop before the rim of the coin. If the coin would have been genuine, the legend would have continued up to the very edge of the coin. In fact it has been mentioned in some records that, for reason of preventing forgery, the coins were struck with larger dies as the flan of the coin.
If on hammered coins the lines of the legend stop abruptly before the edge (not completing the full symbol) one has to do with a forgery produced with cast dies, taken from genuine coins.

Figleaf

Good to be aware of, bad to know. This one came from a very reputable dealer in Islamic coins. Thanks, Oesho.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.