4 Annas and 8 Annas

[brokencompass]

It was always strange to me why 8 anna coins were issued in copper when 8 annas was the same as 1/2 rupee and 1/2 rupee was made of silver.

"4 annas and 8 annas were introduced as an emergency measure and treated as tokens only, neither coin was intended to replace the silver half rupee or quarter rupee, although for the first time being the minting of these two coins was temporarily suspended. Due to it's comparitive high value, the eight annas was expensively copied by bazaar smiths and had to be withdrawn. It was recalled from circulation on 1st October 1924, and thereafter could only be received at the issuing offices"

So 4 annas and 8 annas were temporary tokens and that explains it...

[brokencompass]

On a 1919 8 anna coin I bought recently, it was written on the flip "Intended for circulation in the Mauritius". Does anyone know more about this? I am not able to find this on any books I have. (Krause/ Pridmore)

[FosseWay]

On a 1919 8 anna coin I bought recently, it was written on the flip "Intended for circulation in the Mauritius". Does anyone know more about this? I am not able to find this on any books I have. (Krause/ Pridmore)

I don't have anything definitively to add to that, but would note that as the standard Mauritian $/c currency dates back to Queen Victoria's reign, it would seem odd that the powers that be should have considered introducing a coin that doesn't fit into the physical and denominational paradigms already in use there.

[Figleaf]

As so often, there were two currencies used in Mauritius, one for the British, one for the rest of the population. The British used Indian coins. The rest of the population used the French livre colonial of 1 Spanish real, therefore 10 to the Straits Settlements dollar. The two systems were brought together by ordinance of 1876, which at the same time introduced the decimal system and the Indian rupee. The Indian coins of 1 Rupee, 1/2 rupee (8 annas) and 1/4 rupee (4 annas) circulated happily alongside dedicated Mauritian coins of 20 cents (2 livres colonial), 10 cents (1 livre colonial), 5 cents, 2 cents and 1 cent. In 1934, Indian coins were demonetized and the 20 cents became a quarter rupee.

In this sense, all Indian coins minted before 1934 could circulate in Mauritius. However, I have found no mention that the 8 annas 1919 were destined only for Mauritius.

Peter