The Puddester Collection (Part II)

The Uniform Coinage of India, British Imperial Period, George V, silver Rupee, 1911, Calcutta, crowned and robed bust left, b.m. [Bertram Mackennal] on truncation, elephant on decoration resembles a pig, george v king emperor, rev. one rupee india and date, yek rupiya surrounded by ornate scroll containing rose, thistle and shamrock, lotus flowers above and below, edge grained, 11.68g/12h (Prid. 207 [Sale, lot 133]; SW 8.11; KM. 523; cf. Fore III, 2439). Very light bagmarks, otherwise brilliant mint state £150-£200

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

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Collection

Bt 1980.

Owner’s envelope.

The obverse punch for the new coinage of George V, showing the king wearing the Imperial Crown, Robe of State, collars of the Orders of the Star of India and Indian Empire and the badge of the Order of the Bath, was received by the Calcutta mint in July 1911. This was paired with the new reverse engraved from a design by Percy Brown (1872-1955), head of the Government School of Art, Calcutta, and accordingly stocks of the new coins, in silver and bronze, were built up in preparation for their release into circulation on 12 December 1911, the day of the Delhi Durbar. Unfortunately, political agitators in the bazaars started a rumour that a ‘pig’ was depicted on the new rupee, claiming that the elephant’s body and legs on the collar chain of the Star of India were out of proportion, no tusks were visible and the short trunk looked like a pig’s snout. Among Muslims and certain other religious sects the pig is an unclean animal and public aversion to the coin was swift and hostile. The government was left with no option but to announce on 23 January 1912 that the rupee, of which some 700,000 had been issued, was to be withdrawn, and notices were placed in the Times of India to that effect (Garside, SNC March 1912, cols. 13455-6). Poor engraving of the design was to blame for the confusion; the image on the smaller denominations had not caused offence and most of these remained in circulation. The elephant was re-drawn with a longer tail, better-defined tusks and ears on rupees dated 1912 and later