Danish India, Tranquebar: Christian V, Lead 4 Cash, KM 100, "DOC / WHVK" type

[mitresh]

Indo-Danish, Christian V, 1670-99 AD, Lead 4 Cash, 5.28g, Tranquebar mint, 1687 AD, KM 100




Obv: Within a circular dotted border, crowned DOC monogram; letters WHVK below

Rev: Crowned C5 monogram of Christian V, separating date: 1687


DOC stands for Dansk Ostindisk Compagni ie Danish East India Company


WHVK stands for the mint officers initial ie Wulf Heinrich Van Kalnien


source: Coin India

The Danes made their first appearance in India in 1618, when the Dansk Ostindisk Compagni (Danish East India Company) started operating under a royal Danish charter. They reached an agreement with the Nayaka of Tanjore (Raghunath Nayaka), receiving the port of Tranquebar and some surrounding area on an annual payment of 4,000 rupees. By the following year the Danish castle of Dansborg had been built. Although the Danes subsequently did establish a few other settlements, Tranquebar remained their headquarters and their only mint operated there. The Danes did not get involved in Indian politics at all, so they did not get drawn into any of the conflicts that raged in the country, but in 1807 Britain went to war with Denmark and British troops seized Tranquebar. Although it was restored to Denmark in 1814, the Danes eventually sold all their Indian possessions (which had included the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) to the British.


The WHVK on this coin stands for Wulf Heinrich Van Kalnein, who served as Royal Commissioner in Tranquebar for a little over a year (1686-87) during which he reaped tremendous profits for himself and the DOC through shrewd business moves, a re-opening of the slave trade, and privateering. So strong was his reputation that his initials appeared on Tranquebar coinage years after he had returned to Denmark for good.

[coinlover]

Very beautiful coin, Mitresh. Thanks for sharing. Nice history too.

Anjan