The Puddester Collection

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta Mint: Early Years, silver Rupee in the name of ‘Alamgir II (1167-73h/1754-9), 1174h, yr 6 [1760-1], naming Murshidabad, sikka mubarak badshah ghazi ‘alamgir [the auspicious coin of the victorious Emperor ‘Alamgir], rev. zarb murshidabad sanah 6 julus maimanat manus [struck at Murshidabad in the 6th year of his reign of tranquil prosperity], flower to left of regnal year, 11.62g/4h (Prid. – [not in Sale]; Stevens 1.18; KM. 8.2). About very fine, very rare £600-£800

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

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Bt R.C. Senior (Glastonbury, UK) May 1985.

Owner’s ticket and envelope.

As early as 1758 it was clear that coins with the mint-name Kalkata were not being preferred in commerce to those from Murshidabad, 120 miles to the north, so pressure was brought to bear on the nawab, Mir Quasim (†1777), at the close of 1760 to permit Calcutta coins to bear the name Murshidabad. These first issues bear the name of the murdered emperor ‘Alamgir II; the authorities did not receive permission to alter the name of the emperor on coins to Shah ‘Alam until July 1761