The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bombay Presidency, Early coinages: English design, gold Quarter-Mohur, 1765, Company arms, english east india company around, rev. bombay 1765, small lettering, floral ornaments above and below, 2.74g/6h (Prid. 6 [not in Sale]; Stevens 2.95; KM. 184, this coin illustrated; F 1552, this coin illustrated). Practically as struck with considerable mint bloom, excessively rare [certified and graded NGC MS 66 Star]
£60,000-£80,000

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

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Collection

W.W. Leycester Collection, Sotheby Auction (London), 15-23 June 1888, lot 178 (part)
H. Montagu Collection, Sotheby Auction (London), 3-4 May 1892, lot 62
J.G. Murdoch Collection, Sotheby Auction (London), 21-30 July 1903, lot 43
H. Leslie Ellis Collection
V.M. Brand Collection, Sotheby Auction (London), 14 June 1985, lot 160 [from Spink August 1919]
‘Skanda’ (L.B. Brilliant) Collection, Spink/Taisei Auction 9 (Singapore), 20 February 1991, lot 617.

Owner’s ticket and envelope.

Literature:
Illustrated in George Cuhaj et al, South Asian Coins and Paper Money, Indian Edition, p.436
Illustrated in Art Friedberg et al, Gold Coins of the World from Ancient Times to the Present, p.524.

It is believed that three other specimens are known:
1). P.J.E. Stevens Collection (illustrated on website), ex Sir John Wheeler (lot 69), Sotheby 5-6 October 1989 (lot 560), Wolfson Trust (lot 313: unsold), R.J. Ford, J.G. Murdoch (lot 44), H. Montagu (lot 61), Major-General Henry Hyde, R.E. (1824-87, Master of the Calcutta Mint 1861-76, and by private treaty to Montagu), the Pridmore plate coin (large lettering: different rev. die);
2). British Museum 1851-3-14-25 (large lettering: same rev. die as 1));
3). SCMB July 1955 (G 1030), ex H.A. Parsons, Part II (lot 885), from the same dies as the present piece