The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta Mint: Early Years, gold Sixteenth-Mohur in the name of ‘Alamgir II (1167-73h/1754-9), yr 4 [1757-8], Kalkata, sikka mubarak badshah ghazi ‘alamgir [the auspicious coin of the victorious Emperor ‘Alamgir], rev. zarb [––] sanah 4 julus maimanat manus [struck at [––] in the 4th year of his reign of tranquil prosperity], 0.68g/12h (Prid. – [not in Sale]; Stevens –; KM. –; F –). Extremely fine and of the highest rarity, a denomination unrecorded in the standard references [certified and graded NGC MS 65] £3,000-£4,000

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

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Bt in London October 2002.

Owner’s ticket and envelope.

Although the emperor’s name is off the flan, the arrangement of the visible part of the legend is consistent with Kalkata issues of ‘Alamgir II and a full explanation is sold with the coin; those interested are also referred to the excellent illustration of a quarter-mohur of the same issue, year 4, in the Fore collection (Part III, lot 1271).

In June 1756 the new Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah (1733-57), who had a particular distrust of the British and the presence of the Company’s trading post at Fort William, attacked and captured Calcutta, renaming the city ‘Alinagar. Leaving a small garrison in place, the nawab’s forces were in turn overcome by troops led by Col. Robert Clive (1725-74), who retook the city on 2 January 1757. After negotiations lasting several months, skilled workmen had arrived from Murshidabad to man a new mint and the first coins struck at Calcutta under the auspices of the Company appeared in the wake of Clive’s victory at the battle of Plassey. The very first coins are those bearing the mint name ‘Alinagar Kalkata (not present in this collection: cf. Fore III, 1273, 1793); permission to change the mint name to Kalkata was granted on 28 July 1757