Danish India, Tranquebar: Christian IV (1620-1648) Pb Cash (UBJ-6; KM#7)

[Quant.Geek]

Danish India, Tranquebar: Christian IV (1620-1648) Pb Cash (UBJ-6; KM#7)

Obv: DAN/NSBOR/G in three lines
Rev: CHRIS/TIAN/HAFN in three lines, for the company ship Christianshavn

A high-resolution image of this coin is available at FORVM Ancient Coins

[naabh4]

Nice coin. Just curious to know if there is a way to remove this white encrustration on the coin? Also, do you store these coins with encrustrations separately from other lead coins?

[Figleaf]

If it is lead oxide, you can probably just wipe it off. That would be pointless, though. New white powder will form from the lead in the coin. I think lead oxide is a salt. If so, the coin should be kept dry constantly (beware of condensation), but it does not pose any danger to other coins

Peter

[Figleaf]

I was always a bit puzzled by why the enterprising Danes would see fit to mention the name of ships on coins obviously produced locally, but I just had an epiphany: the coins were likely made of metal transported on outward voyages as ballast. They would of course not be needed on inward trips. Mentioning the ship on the coins was a way to ascertain that the metal had been used to make coins, not sold to the natives in order to enrich the colonists at the cost of the company.

As different ships could have had the same ballast metal, the name of the ship would have made checking a bit easier. However, coins always get lost in circulation, so the name would have been useful only up to the point where the coins were circulated.

Peter