Weight of a rupee

[vrn_shan]

I am not new at numismatics. Had been collecting coins since childhood but started pursuing it as a serious hobby just couple months back. I am very surprised and confused by the number of counterfeit coins available in market and identifying a genuine coin seems hard. I want buy some British India rupee coins but first want to make sure that they are genuine. I have a few questions.

* Please suggest me some of the checks which I should perform to ensure that the coin is genuine

* I visited a shop recently. Before that I had looked into the "standard catalouge of world coins" for the coins I wanted to purchase. As per the catalouge the weight should be 11.66 gms but none of the coins were 11.66 gms. Some were 11.59, 11.58 and some even 11.72 gms and so on. All coins were in VF condition. Is it possible for a genuine coin to have this much variance in weight? The shopkeeper told that coins have lost weight because they were old. Is it true? A genuine coin in VF condition should be in what weight range?

Thanks 

[akona20]

Perhaps in this case you could post which particular Rupees you are looking to buy.

And welcome to the forum.

[vrn_shan]

Thanks 

The ultimate aim is to build complete collection of British India rupee coins. Though I am starting with the very common coins. The coins which I came across are (whose weights I have mentioned above) 1906/1907 1917, 1918, 1922 etc.

All these I am gettingg in the range Rs. 800 to Rs 1000. Is the price justified? 

[akona20]

Okay now we have that information we can let the local experts comment on what you can expect to find in the marketplace on weight and price.

[Abhay]

Welcome to WoC.
For more on this topic, just see this post:

http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,12353.0.html

The standard weight of a Silver Rupee is 11.664 Grams. But it can vary between 11.3-11.66 grams depending upon the condition and wear on the coin. But 11.72 grams is certainly fake.

Buy your coins from some reputed dealers only.

The price for the most common years should be in the range of Rs. 850-1100, depending on the condition.

Abhay

[anand]

Hi, from my experience atleast coins which have been in circulation you can expect them to be slightly lower than the standard 11.66gm. That can be attributed to wear and slight fading of coins. The other thing you should note is the accuracy of the scale you are using. What is the least error of it? Is it 0.01gm or lower?

On things to look for authenticity:
1. Ping test. Silver makes that distinguishing sound when struck. Just fling a silver coin and a normal one to recognize the difference.
2. Weight as you pointed out. for silver rupees anything in the range of 11.55 to 11.65, i would take as fine. But i may be wrong in a few cases.
3. Mint marks
4. Dates during which a coin was minted. Currently many new collectors get fooled when they dont release what years which emperor/empress was ruling.
5. Design and other key markings on the coin. different era coins have different distinguishing things in their design to identify them.
6. Knowing about what you are buying beforehand. Refer various sources (books, talk to others, etc. anyway you can get info) to get as much info you can about what you are looking to buy.

For price it is a tough question, it depends. I try to pay (silver melt value + 5-10%) for common year coins. Rs 800 to Rs 1000 for Edward and George V rupees should be decent. Try to be in tune with the silver prices. it is on a slight rise these days. Some dates are scarcer than other and may demand a higher price. George VI coins you should realize are half silver coins so should be much cheaper. Variations in the coins might be scarcer and its good to know about them before blindly paying premium for them.

Also it is worthwhile spending time finding a good dealer/source of coins, who you can trust. Probably a dealer or jeweler. ebay is another but the number of fakes present is high. even the pictures of the coins being sold there can deceiving (personal experience  ). Be cautious.

hope this answers some of your questions.

Anand

[vrn_shan]

Hi Abhay and Anand.

Thanks a lot for answering my queries so promptly.

I have purchased some coins which I wold like to share here.

I will attach the pics year wise.

[Abhay]

A nice coin.
But you can try for a better grade coin, as these coins are not very costly for higher grades.

Abhay

[vrn_shan]

1877 rupee.

[vrn_shan]

1878 rupee

[vrn_shan]

One more 1878  rupee.

[vrn_shan]

1887 rupee.

[vrn_shan]

1888 rupee.

[vrn_shan]

1900 rupee

[vrn_shan]

1901 rupee.