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Auction: 19025 - Ancient, Indian and Islamic, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 1065

India, Colonial, French, in the name of Muhammad Shah (1719-48), Rupee, 10.98g, 'Arcot' mint for Pondicherry (probably struck at Alamparai), ry.23, crescent on bottom line of obverse legend (Brockmeier, JONS 194, pp.34-36), extremely rare with this early date and with crescent in this position, toned good very fine


It is well known that the French struck Arcot Rupees at Pondicherry and that their issues are characterised by a crescent by the date. More recently it was noticed that the particular form of the word julus found on Pondicherry Rupees is also present on other Arcot Rupees (Jan Lingen, 'Rupees with the Mint name Arkat,' Seaby Coin & Medal Bulletin, January 1980).
Taking this a step further, Brockmeier researched the history of the country mint Alamparai (Alamparve) just north of Pondicherry. Ananda Rangam Pillai, a merchant based in Pondicherry at the time, mentions that when the French began striking Rupees at Pondicherry in 1736 the new coin dies were sent from Alamparai with the charter. He also records that the the French governor was instructed to run the mint the same way as at Alamparai by the chief Dubash and representative of the Arcot Nawab, who allocated a die cutter from Alamparai to the new mint.

From this account Brockmeier concluded that early Rupees struck at Pondicherry would share the same legend peculiarities with contemporaneous issues of Alamparai. Hence, it is thought that Rupees of this type without a crescent were struck at Alamparai



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Sold for
£650