Closing of mints in British India

Started by MORGENSTERNN, May 25, 2017, 04:55:39 PM

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MORGENSTERNN

Hello,

As an Indian coins collector I'd like to know the date of closing of the Indian mints in the late XIXth century.
The State mints were ordered closed in 1893 but some states like Bundi or Jaipur still stroke coins in the XXth century.
The datation mentioned on coins could help but with undated series and frozen date coinage it is not enough.
I found the following informations about silver coinage but copper is not mentioned and the list is not complete.

SIR JOHN ROLLESTON (Leicester)
To ask the Secretary of State for India whether, concurrently with closing the mints in British India to the free coinage of silver in 1893, the mints of all, or any, of the native states were then or subsequently closed; and, if so, will he say in which States the mints have been so closed.
(Answered by Secretary Lord G. Hamilton.) Since 1893 the following native states in India have closed their mints and abandoned their local silver currencies in favour of the Government of India's rupee:—1894, Dewas States; 1895, certain states in Bhopowar Agency, and Western Malwa Agency; 1896, Palanpur; 1897, Bhopal and lesser neighbouring states; Kashmir; 1900, Radhanpur; Nawanagar; Jodhpur; Baroda; 1901, Jhalawar and Kota; 1902, Indore.
HC Deb 07 November 1902 vol 114 c383



So the best is to list here the Indian mints that issued coins in the late XIXth century to search more informations (or speculations) from our kind specialists.
My interest is limited to the circulation coins, the states or mints that only issued Nazarana coinage or commemorative medals are not listed (same for the gold coins).
I will open one topic for each mint in question, the link will be mentioned in the list.

Indian states that still mint circulation coins at the beginning of the XXth century (circulation dated coins) :

1. Bahawalpur – Last coin dated AH1359 = AD1940
2. Bundi – Last coin dated VS1992 = AD1935
3. Cambay – Last coin dated VS1970 = AD1913
4. Gwalior – Last coin dated VS1999 = AD1942
5. Hyderabad – Last coin dated AH1368 = AD1948
6. Indore – Last coin dated VS1992 = AD1935
7. Jaipur – Last coin dated AD1944
8. Jodhpur – Last coin dated VS2004 = AD1947
9. Junagadh – Last coin dated VS1990 = AD1933
10. Kutch – Last coin dated VS2004 = AD1947
11. Maler Kotla – Last coin dated AH1326 = AD1908
12. Mewar – Last coin dated VS1985 = AD1928 (struck until 1932)
13. Sailana – Last coin dated AD1912
14. Tonk – Last coin dated AH1350 = AD1932
15. Travancore – Last coin dated ME1121 = AD1944

The Dewas, Dungarpur and Ratlam States and the Umarda mint (local issues from Mewar) also struck WWII Emergency coinage.

   

MORGENSTERNN

#1
Undated XXth century and late XIXth century coins (the coins in question) :

1. Amreli (Baroda mint) : Last coin dated AH1313 = AD1895 - Ruler : Sayaji Rao III (1875-1938) - Picture : Paisa Y-C23 (AH1313)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39118.new#new 
2. Banswara : Undated coinage - Ruler : Lakshman Singh (1844-1905) – Picture : Paisa KM-11 undated 1870 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39119.new#new 
3. Baroda : Last coin dated VS1956 = AD1899 - Ruler : Sayaji Rao III (1875-1938) - Picture : Rupee Y-36 (VS1949) Gold coins dated VS1959 (AD1902) also exist. MINT CLOSED IN 1900 (Secretary Lord G. Hamilton)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39120.new#new
4. Bikanir :  Last coin dated AD1897 - Ruler : Ganga Singh (1887-1942) - Picture : Rupee KM-72 (1892)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39121.new#new
5. Datia (copper) : Last copper coin dated AH1320//46 = AD1902 - Ruler : Bawani Singh (1857-1907) - Picture : Paisa C-23 (AHXXXX//46).  According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1899
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39122.new#new
6. Datia (silver) : Last silver coin dated AH1317//23 = AD1899 - Ruler : Bawani Singh (1857-1907) - Picture : Rupee C-38 (AH1315//23). According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1899
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39123.new#new
7. Jawad (Gwalior mint) : Undated coinage - Ruler : Madho Rao (1886-1925) – Picture : Paisa KM-109 undated 1886 ? According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1898/99
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39124.new#new
8. Lashkar – (Gwalior mint) : Undated coinage - Ruler : Madho Rao (1886-1925) – Picture : Rupee KM-159 undated RY23 AD1886 ? According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1898/99
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39125.new#new
9. Ujjain (Ex. Daulat Rau) – (Gwalior mint) : Last coin dated AH1314//38 = AD1896 - Ruler : Madho Rao (1886-1925) – Picture : Rupee KM-245 AH1314//38. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1899
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39126.new#new 
10. Karauli : Last coin dated AD1896//11 - Ruler : Bhanwar Pal (1886-1927) - Picture : Rupee KM-70 AD188(8)//3 & AD(189)6//11.
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39127.new#new
11. Jammu - (Kashmir mint) : Last coin dated VS1949 = AD1892 - Ruler : Pertab Singh (1885-1925) - Picture : 1/2 Paisa KM-2a (VS1949) MINT CLOSED IN 1897 (Secretary Lord G. Hamilton)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39128.new#new
12. Srinagar - (Kashmir mint) : Last coin dated VS1952 = AD1895 - Ruler : Pertab Singh (1885-1925) - Picture : Rupee Y-24 (VS195X) MINT CLOSED IN 1897 (Secretary Lord G. Hamilton)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39129.new#new
13. Kishangarh : Undated coinage - Ruler : Yaghyanarayan Singh (1926-1938) – Picture : 1/4 Rupee Y-4 ND//24 AD1926-38 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39130.new#new
14. Kishangarh : Undated coinage – Anonymous coinage (1902-1938) – Pictures : Rupee KM-12.1 & 8 Annas Y-15  ND//24 AD1902-38 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39131.new#new
15. Kotah : Last coin dated VS1956 = AD1899  - Ruler : Umed Singh II (1889-1901) – Picture : Rupee Y-7 (VS1956). Krause also list a rupee ND//44 supposed to be dated 1901 but I never seen any with RY44 except the Nazarana issue. MINT CLOSED IN 1901 (Secretary Lord G. Hamilton)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39132.new#new
16. Lunavada : Last coin dated VS1949 = AD1892 - Ruler : Vakhatsingh II (1867-1929) – Picture : Paisa KM-10 (VS1949).
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39133.new#new
17. Makrai : Undated coinage – Ruler : Raja Bharat Shah (1886-1920) – Picture : Paisa KM-2 - AD1886-1920 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39134.new#new
18. Nabha : Last coin dated VS1929 = AD1872  - Ruler : Hira Singh (1871-1911) – Picture : Rupee Y-2 (VS1928).
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39135.new#new
19. Nawanagar :  Last coin dated VS1956 = AD1899  - Ruler : Jaswant Singh (1894-1907) – Picture : 1,5 Dokdo KM-26 (VS1956). MINT CLOSED IN 1900 (Secretary Lord G. Hamilton)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39136.new#new
20. Shahpur (Mewar feudatories) :  Last coin is dated AHXXX8//12 that could match with AD1881 - Ruler : Nahar Singh (1870-1932) – Picture : Rupee C-22 (AHXXX8//12).
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39137.new#new
21. Pratabgarh : Last coin dated VS1953 = AD1896  - Ruler : Raganath Singh (1890-1929) – Picture : Paisa KM-40 (VS1953). According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435. those coins were still current in Gwalior up to 1899
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39138.new#new
22. Pudukkottai : Undated coinage – Ruler : Martanda Bhairava (1886-1947) – Picture : Amman Cash KM-6 - AD1886-1947 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39139.new#new
23. Sikkim : Last coin dated VS1942 = AD1885  - Ruler : Thutab Namgyel (1874-1911) – Picture : Paisa KM-3.1 (VS1941-42).
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39140.new#new
24. Sunth (Rampur) :  Undated coinage – Picture : Paisa KM-6.1. 1870-1920 ?
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39141.msg247367#msg247367
25. Sironj (Tonk mint) :  Last coin dated AH1314 = AD1896 (Pie Y-11) - Ruler : Muhammad Ibrahim Ali Khan (1868-1930) – Picture : Rupee Y-15 (AH1310//XX93)
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=39142.new#new

The main question is : what is the closing date of those mints ?
Another important point is : when were those coins effectively withdrawn from circulation ?
The purpose is to know which of those coins still circulate in the XXth century in spite of the state mints were ordered closed in 1893.
Thanks

MORGENSTERNN

#2
Other mints mentionned by Krause XXth century coins :

1. Dewas - (Allote mint)
: Paisa KM-10 - Ruler (according to Krause) : Narayan Rao, dead in 1892 so should not be listed here or may be a posthumous strike ?
Pictures here :
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=120172
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=152305
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=184901
2. Patiala : Mohurs, Rupees and some fractions, all were Nazarana/presentation issues and did not circulate.
More details here :
https://www.zeno.ru.showphoto.php?photo=29241
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=61299
3. Rampura : not a real state (invention from Krause) those coins belong to Sunth (capital Rampur). More details here :
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,14828.msg101767.html#msg101767 http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,2962.0.html
4. Bhaunagar : a VS2004 issue (AD1947) believed to be a weight.
More details here :
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=30981


Figleaf

I wish you good luck with this research and encourage all members (including lurkers) to contribute the information, clues and knowledge they have.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

asm

This is a really great initiative and one of the basic per-requisites for any work on the coinage of the states.

I would love to include another important landmark in these pages. If the period when the mint actually started can be located, it would make things fairly easy to catalogue the coins.

Working over a long period on the coins of the states in Gujarat Sameer and I had concluded that the mints had been ordered shut in 1890's once the government decided to intoduce the uniform currency across India. This, in my opinion was caused by multiple reasons - the chief amongst them was that copper (the currency of the layman) traded at different rates at different times and at different sarafs. Changing money when one moved from one state to another was an enormously difficult task (just like today when different exchange houses offer different rates to change from one currency to another). The variation from one state to another was large since the weight of coins from one state to the next was big. This variation may have been caused due to variation of the weight standards in use in different states. - One Seer or Ser would be equal to 40 Tola's in the Saurashtra area but in Ahmedabad it was almost double that, while in Surat, the weight was far lower (nearer 30 tola). In Baroda, the weight of the Ser varied from the city to the Rural areas and even in the distant parts of the state. While the tola weight was almost constant, the variation of the weight of the ser / seer would have meant that the same rupee would buy a different number of copper coins (which generally changed by weight) in different areas besides the variation of the Saraf's commission.
I believe that this corelation too needs to be investigated as the coins would have circulated in the rural areas till the new currency came in and then onward till the time it made economic sense to use it rather than change it to the government money.
The silver coins changed based on purity.
So while the copper coins would have been withdrawin from circulation soon after it was ordered, the rulers would have been permitted to issue some small quantities of bullion coins (these are mainly portrait issues) beyond then for some more time. Some major states like Kutchm Hyderabad etc did continue to mint their own coins till independence in 1947 (or till they acceeded to the Indian Union in a short length of time there after.

Amit
"It Is Better To Light A Candle Than To Curse The Darkness"

MORGENSTERNN

Quote from: Figleaf on May 26, 2017, 01:57:06 AM
I wish you good luck with this research and encourage all members (including lurkers) to contribute the information, clues and knowledge they have.

Peter

Thank you Peter, I will actualise the dates of closing in the list as soon as I get the information.

MORGENSTERNN

Quote from: asm on May 26, 2017, 09:59:26 AM
I would love to include another important landmark in these pages. If the period when the mint actually started can be located, it would make things fairly easy to catalogue the coins.

I will add this information in the list if available...

Thank you for your comment

asm

Quote from: MORGENSTERNN on May 26, 2017, 12:38:23 PM
I will add this information in the list if available...

Thanks a lot.

Amit
"It Is Better To Light A Candle Than To Curse The Darkness"

capnbirdseye

Quote from: MORGENSTERNN on May 25, 2017, 05:03:05 PM

3. Rampura : not a real state (invention from Krause)



Rampura is listed in the Princely states genealogy website here
Vic

asm

Quote from: capnbirdseye on May 26, 2017, 01:17:52 PM

Rampura is listed in the Princely states genealogy website here

This is Rampura in UP (uttar Pradesh) in the north and not Rampur (the state capital of Sunth) whose name is engraved on the coins and Krause has made it a separate state with the same coin images that they have for Sunth.

Amit
"It Is Better To Light A Candle Than To Curse The Darkness"

MORGENSTERNN

#10
Some more infos from the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 435.

"Up to 1899 several issues from local mints were still current in
Gwalior. Besides various coins belonging to neighbouring States, such
as the Sdlinz shdhi of Partabgarh, the Gajjd shdhi of Jhansi, and the
Datia issues, these included the Gwalior rupee struck at Gwalior, the
Chdndori at Isagarh, and the Tap shdhi at Sheopur. The inconveni-
ence of this multiplicity of currencies was accentuated by the procedure
at the regular settlement of 1871, when 5 parganas were assessed in
British currency, 20 in the Gwalior, r9 in the Chdndori, and 3 in the
Top shdhi. In 1893 the State mints were closed By 1897, it was
found possible to convert the Gajjd shdhi and the Top shdhi coins, and
in 1898 the Gwalior and Chdndori coins, which were called in. The
British rupee and its fractional coins are now the only legal tender.
The State still mints its own copper, which is of the same value as the
British coin, and gold coins are struck for special purposes."

and a link for the full text http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V12_441.gif

The Jawad and Lashkar issues were probably still in use up to 1898/99 (local mints) but I don't know if the text above is only about silver coinage (Lashkar) or if it also include copper coins (Jawad).

asm

#11
You seem to have copy pasted the text from the .pdf version of the Gazetteer. While scanning, it appears a lot of errors creep in. Here below is the corrected version.

"Up to 1899 several issues from local mints were still current in Gwalior. Besides various coins belonging to neighbouring States, such as the Salim Shahi of Partabgarh, the Gaja Shahi of Jhansi, and the Datia issues, these included the Gwalior rupee struck at Gwalior, the Chandori at Isagarh, and the Tope Shahi at Sheopur. The inconvenience of this multiplicity of currencies was accentuated by the procedure at the regular settlement of 1871, when 5 parganas were assessed in British currency, 20 in the Gwalior, 9 in the Chandori, and 3 in the Tope Shahi. In 1893 the State mints were closed. By 1897, it was found possible to convert the Gaja Shahi and the Tope Shahi coins, and in 1898 the Gwalior and Chandori coins, which were called in. The British rupee and its fractional coins are now the only legal tender.
The State still mints its own copper, which is of the same value as the British coin, and gold coins are struck for special purposes."

The Nomenclature is based on the design / symbols on the coins:
Gaja refers to the 'Gada' or Mace on the coins.
Tope refers to the cannon.
The name Salim Shahi and Chandori are based on the place of minting.

Amit
"It Is Better To Light A Candle Than To Curse The Darkness"

EWC

All very interesting!

Quote from: MORGENSTERNN on May 25, 2017, 04:55:39 PM
The Dewas, Dungarpur and Ratlam States and the Umarda mint (local issues from Mewar) also struck WWII Emergency coinage.

If you find time, it would be nice to hear the dates and denominations

Rob T

MORGENSTERNN

#13
WWII Emergency coinage :

Dewas (Senior Branch) : Paisa 1943/44 See that topic http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,8251.0.html
Dungarpur : Paisa 1944 See here http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,25731.msg169053.html#msg169053
Ratlam : Paisa 1890 Restrike on thin flan during 1942/45 (according to Krause) See here  https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=72465https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=72465
Umarda : Half Paisa undated struck during 1938/41 (according to Krause) See here https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/india-princely-states-mewar-1-2-paisa-y-24-1938-1941-cuid-1130603-duid-1592724 and here https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=119670

MORGENSTERNN

Quote from: asm on September 12, 2017, 07:06:00 AM
You seem to have copy pasted the text from the .pdf version of the Gazetteer. While scanning, it appears a lot of errors creep in. Here below is the corrected version.

Many thanks for tour corrections Amit !