Why Anna and Pice both?

[Md. Shariful Islam]

1 anna equals to 4 pice. But BI coinage have both streams of Anna and Pice at the same time. Why?

[Abhay]

The monetary system during the British India was as follows:

3 Pies = 1 Pice
4 Pice = 1 Anna
16 Annas = 1 Rupee
15 Rupees = 1 Mohur

So, 1/12 Anna = 4/12 Pice = 1/3 Pice = 1 Pie
1/2 Pice = 3/2 Pies = 1.5 Pies
1/4 Anna = 4/4 Pice = 1 Pice
1/2 Anna = 4/2 Pice = 2 Pice
1/4 Anna = 4/4 Pice = 1 Pice

So, basically, instead of naming the coin as 1 Pice, initially, the coin was named as 1/4 Anna. Of course, later on, during the Era of George VI, 1 Pice Holed coins were issued.

Abhay

[Harry]

I'm so happy that the decimal system is around. Shifting the decimal point is much easier that working out all those fractions!

[FosseWay]

I've wondered at various time why the 1/12 anna coin was denominated thus and not as 1 pie. Some of the coinages issued by the Bombay, Madras and Calcutta Presidencies and by the EIC used '1 pie' as the denomination, and imperial stamps denominated as 3, 6 and 9 pies are very common. So why the clumsy 1/12 denomination?

[Md. Shariful Islam]

So why the clumsy 1/12 denomination?

And look at the inconsistency. 1/12 anna, then 1/2 pice, then again Quarter anna (instead of 1 pice) and onward.

Silver coins are 2 anna, then 1/4 rupee (instead of 4 anna) and then 1/2 rupee (instead of 8 anna).

[repindia]

And look at the inconsistency. 1/12 anna, then 1/2 pice, then again Quarter anna (instead of 1 pice) and onward.

Silver coins are 2 anna, then 1/4 rupee (instead of 4 anna) and then 1/2 rupee (instead of 8 anna).

If you check carefully the urdu letters on the silver coinage said 8 annas and 4 annas for 1/2 Rupee and 1/4 Rupee respectively. Also 1/2 pice sounds better than 1/8 anna. 

[Md. Shariful Islam]

Also 1/2 pice sounds better than 1/8 anna. 

And I feel that it is also a cause of less availbility but what found is in good condition of 1/2 pice. Probably the less educated indians of thatt time failed to understand 1/2 pice and did not accept this coin that much and I guess quarter annas remain more popular than any coins for trades.

Islam