The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta Mint: Third milled issue, gold Quarter-Mohur in the name of ‘Shah ‘Alam II (1173-1221h/1759-1806), frozen year 1204h and regnal yr 19 [1793-1818], naming Murshidabad, sikka shah alam badshah ghazi [coin of Shah ‘Alam the victorious emperor], rev. zarb murshidabad sanah 19 [struck at Murshidabad in the 19th year], centre group of five pellets, edge centre-grained, 3.32g/12h (Prid. 81 [Sale, lot 584]; Stevens 6.5; KM. 110; F 1542). Characteristic adjustment marks on obverse, file mark on obverse edge at 6 o’clock, otherwise extremely fine and practically as struck, very rare £400-£500

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

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Collection

Bt in London May 2000.

Owner’s ticket and envelope.

At one time this was an extremely rare coin known only from only three or four specimens, but several have appeared on the market in recent years.

Sold with a note from the owner detailing the problems with ‘rasping’ (filing) in the mint’s Adjusting Department not being removed by the stamping machine when coins were struck (cf. Stevens 2012, p.276), a particular problem with this issue