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Auction: 15005 - Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 155

British East India Company, Bombay Presidency (1830-33), AE proof Half-Anna, 12.83g, 1832 / AH1246, arms of the East India Company, rev. scales of justice with legend half anna above and 'adl with hijri date below (Pr.204; KM.250), with some minor surface imperfections, extremely fine and rare

A new mint at Bombay started striking copper coins on 22nd November 1830. Although the Court of Directors had authorised the minting of Half-Annas along with Quarter-Annas and Pies, none were produced for circulation. However a die for the Half-Anna had been produced by a local engraver, and proof specimens bearing the date 1832 were submitted to the Mint Committee by J. Farish, the mint master, on 23rd July 1833. These proofs must have been unsatisfactory as the Mint Committee subsequently requested a new matrix die for Half-Rupees to be engraved at the Calcutta mint and sent to Bombay. It is from these later dies that the copper coins of Bombay mint dated 1834 were struck.
This Half-Anna was found in the cabinet of a British collector. It has obviously seen some circulation, but the story of its journey from Bombay to England has yet to be discovered.

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Sold for
£2,600