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Maldives: coin series of 1960

Started by <k>, April 28, 2018, 08:26:01 AM

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Figleaf

Very interesting, Peter. Thank you for that comment. My source is a Canadian dealer, no longer active, perhaps dead and I am not even sure he handled them. At the time (40 to 50 years ago), he valued them at CAD 35 to 45. He may have thought of the homework silver plated pieces, but I distinctly remember him saying that they were made in Birmingham.

Anyway, you have set the record straight. Thank you for that. Is there any chance that you can post your silver piece here?

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

sealladh58

Quote from: Figleaf on April 30, 2018, 05:16:33 PM
Very interesting, Peter. Thank you for that comment. My source is a Canadian dealer, no longer active, perhaps dead and I am not even sure he handled them. At the time (40 to 50 years ago), he valued them at CAD 35 to 45. He may have thought of the homework silver plated pieces, but I distinctly remember him saying that they were made in Birmingham.

Anyway, you have set the record straight. Thank you for that. Is there any chance that you can post your silver piece here?

Peter

I know of only one Canadian dealer who knew anything about Maldivian coins.  He was John G Humphris from Montreal, who later worked on World Coins Magazine in the late 1960s or early 1970s.  Was he your source?

I will post my silver coin tomorrow when I have prepared a publishable image.

Peter

Figleaf

No, he was Somer James. Looking forward to your picture.

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

sealladh58

Quote from: Figleaf on April 30, 2018, 06:41:04 PM
No, he was Somer James. Looking forward to your picture.

Peter

I was aware of Somer James' name but never had any contact with him.

I have attached the original auction pictures of my silver 1902/1320 4 lariat coin.

Figleaf

Thank you, Peter. This is a prize piece indeed. The style is very recognisable. The triangular shape of the lines of the writing with a flat top where the line gets thicker immediately reminds me of the better executed Indian rupees.

You are quite right about the edge. Hand made. Maybe the sultan wasn't happy with the plain edges and had the milling added by hand on some of the coins? However, the perfect roundness of the planchet and the perfectly centred strike point to at at least some machines being involved. I wonder if they ordered planchets from abroad. The closest mint still operating was Colombo, a port city, but still a good distance away.

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

sealladh58

Thanks, Peter.

I think this is now getting very far off the original subject.  I have been re-studying this coin and others of the same date/denomination and coming up with a lot of interesting facts that I do not have time or opportunity to put down at the moment.  So I will start a new thread in the next day or so when I have marshalled all my thoughts and maybe make some new pictures.

Peter

Figleaf

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