The Uniform Coinage of India, East India Company: Patterns, William IV, original silver Pattern Rupee, 1834, type 2, Calcutta, unsigned [by K. Dass and J. Prinsep], bust right after W. Wyon, gulielmus iiii d : g : britt. et ind. rex [William IV by the Grace of God King of Great Britain and India], rev. lotus flower above one rupee and date, all within laurel wreath with 38 berries, east india company above, ek rupiya, yek rupiya, ek rupiya below, wavy line circumferential borders both sides, edge plain, 32mm, 11.72g/5h (Prid. 170 [Sale, lot 54]; SW 1.22; KM. Pn2; cf. Fore II, 787). Brilliant and virtually as struck, attractively toned, extremely rare as an original Pattern £8,000-£10,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Puddester Collection.

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With Baldwin (London), ticket
Bt S. Album (Santa Rosa, CA) December 1993.

Owner’s envelope and record card.

Following the rejection by authorities of Kasinath Dass’ first patterns for a rupee, measuring 26.5mm and submitted in April 1834 (Prid. 168-9, not represented in this collection), James Prinsep (1799-1840), Assay Master at Calcutta, proposed a larger coin equivalent in size to the US half-dollar. Receiving approval in October, matrix dies were prepared and Robert Saunders forwarded five specimens of this new rupee to the Mint Committee on 17 November. The following day the new coins were passed to the newly-installed Governor-General, Lord Bentinck (1774-1839), who was satisfied with the dimensions but asked to see designs incorporating other devices and without the incongruity of a legend in Latin. It would seem likely that Bentinck, serving as the governor of Fort William (Bengal) in the first half of 1834, never saw Dass’ first patterns, which also featured Latin legends, as suggested by Randy Weir in his footnote to Fore II, 787. It is thought that at least 10 original patterns exist