Indo-Portuguese Coins: Rupia, Tanga and Reis

 

The Portuguese were the first European power to reach India - in 1498 and the last to leave, when they were evicted by the Indian armed forces in 1961. While a wide range of coins was minted and issued by Goa, Daman and Diu mints over this period, the best known (and most affordable!) Indo-Portuguese coins are the ones minted after 1881. 

In 1878, the Anglo-Portuguese treaty was signed - an economic alliances between England and Portugal with respect to their colonies in India. A uniform currency was adopted to facilitate trade between the two colonial empires. As a result, the Portuguese Rupia was made equal to the Indian Rupee - the two coins were identical in size (11.66 grams) and silver content (0.917 - 91.7%). The designs were also similar, with the head of the respective monarch on the obverse. 

The first Uma Rupia coins were minted in 1881, in the name of Luiz 1 - along with smaller fractions in silver - Meia (1/2) Rupia, Quarto (1/4) Rupia and Oitavo (1/8) Rupia. The smaller coins were the equivalent of half rupee, 1/4 rupee and 2 anna coins of British India, which were also silver. Other than this, there was the Tanga, equal to the British Indian anna, with coins of 1/4 tanga, 1/8 tanga and 1/12 tanga in common circulation. 

The next series was minted in 1903 and 1904 - under the next ruler of Portugal - Carlos 1. In 1908, Carlos and his heir apparent were both assassinated and soon after, Portugal became a republic. This change was reflected in the coins as well - with the head of liberty replacing the head of the ruler, and the words 'Republica Portuguesa' appearing on the coins. The next change in design was in 1935 - when the head of liberty was replaced by the shield of Portugal. In 1947, the silver content of these coins was cut down to 50% - belated reflection of the reduction of silver content in British India coins in 1940. This was also the last set of Portuguese coins to be minted in silver. In 1958, the Rupia was replaced by the Escudo - at the rate of 6 Escudo to 1 Rupia. The Escudo was used only for a short while - up to 1961, at which point India militarily expelled Portugal from its colonies. 

Because Portugal's colonial presence in India was much smaller than the British, the number of coins minted was also much smaller. For instance, just 800,000 coins of Uma Rupia were minted for 1881 and1884. As a result, Indo-Portuguese coins are much rarer (and pricier) compared to coins of British India. However, compared to the rarer coins of British India, such as 1897 rupee, 1939 rupee etc, they are still very affordable to a collector. 

Know Your India: Coins of Udaipur

Udaipur or Mewar, is best known for Rana Pratap’s resistance against Mughal emperor Akbar. The rulers of Udaipur were called Maharanas – the only ones in Rajputana to be honored with this title. The capital – Udaipur, was established by Udai Singh after the sack of Chittorgarh by Akbar. It was his son Pratap Singh who is now better known as Maharana Pratap.

Udaipur was one of the larger princely states in the British era, and the ruler was entitled to a 19-gun salute. Post independence, Udaipur was one of the first states to sign the instrument of accession to the Indian Union and its ruler was appointed the Rajpramukh (Governor) of the newly formed state of Rajasthan. The accession of Udaipur to India was also critical in scuttling the Bhopal Plan, a scheme by some Indian rulers, with the encouragement of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, wanted to either join Pakistan or stay independent.

The region is known today for its spectacular forts of Chittorgarh and Kumbalgarh, and its many lakes and tanks – built by various rulers. Silver coins of Udaipur are rarer compared to British Indian coins, but are still affordable to collectors. The denomination of the silver coins were 1 anna, 2 anna, 4 anna, 8 anna and 16 anna (1 Rupee). The 1 anna coin of Udaipur is just 12-mm across and weighs 0.95 grams – among the smallest milled coins in the world.

These coins were minted during the reign of Fatteh Singh (1884-1930) in Vikram Samvat 1985 (1928 AD). The obverse of the coin carries a depiction of the ramparts of the Chittorgarh Fort.

Know Your India: Coins of Sailana

Sailana was a princely state in the Malwa region of Central India, and was originally a part of Ratlam. Sailana was under British protection – evident from the coins issued by the state. In 1908 and 1912, one-quarter anna coins of Sailana state were minted in small numbers, at the Calcutta mint. These were identical to the British India one-quarter anna in size and weight – with a portrait of Edward VII/George V on one side. On the reverse, these coins had the words ‘Sailana State’ in English and Hindi, on the edge of the coin (see picture).

Copper coins of Sailana are popular with collectors of British India coins because

1. Rarity: The 1908 and 1912 coins were minted in small numbers – just 224,000 each, because Sailana was a small state. Compared to these, British India coins were minted in hundreds of millions. This makes Sailana coins rare – these copper coins fetch prices higher than many British India silver coins. Between the two variants, the 1908 coins are comparatively rarer.
2. Design: Coins of Sailana have the same weight and design as British India coins, and can be considered a sub-set of British India coins. It is easy for a collector of British India coins to also move into this related category. While these coins are rare, they are not priced exorbitantly (not yet at least).

If you wish to buy coins of Sailana State, click here.

Coins of Bundi Princely State

Bundi was one of the smaller princely states of India, in modern day Rajasthan. In the early 19^th century, it accepted British protection – and coins of Bundi carried the name of the local ruler (Ram Singh) together with the British ruler – Victoria, Edward VII and George V respectively. Unlike other coins of modern age, which are milled, coins of Bundi were hammered – making the quality uneven - with the impression not falling on the planchet completely. The silver rupee of Bundi was thicker than the standard British India rupee, with a lower diameter – 21-2 mm vs. 30-31 mm, and slightly lighter – 10.6-10.7 grams instead of the 11.66 grams.

For more information on coins of Bundi, click here. 

The Jai Hind Kori was a special silver coin issued on occasion of India's freedom by the Kutch Princely State. Prior to 1947, coins of Kutch carried the name of the local ruler on the front and the British ruler on the other side. Also, the front of the coin was written in devnagari, while the reverse was in Urdu. In 1947, the Jai Hind kori replaced the name of the English king with the words -'Jai Hind', written in Devnagari script. These coins are rare and popular with collectors.

If you want to buy Jai Hind Koris, follow this link. 

Coins of Kutch

Kutch was ruled by Jadeja rajputs from 1147 AD to 1948 (when the state was merged into India). Coins of Kutch are popular among collectors for their neatly milled design. The currency of Kutch used to be Kori - which seems to be derived from the word Cowrie - name for sea-shells, which have been used as money in the past.

The most common large denomination coin of Kutch is the 5 Kori silver coin - which weighs 13.87 grams. This is heavier than the British India silver rupee, which was 11.66 grams. The Kutch coin also has higher silver content. The other silver coins were 2.5 kori, 1 kori and half kori (See picture above). Half Kori coins were minted only once in the 20th century - in 1928.

There are some common features in the design of all the four coins. The front of the coin has the year in Vikram Samvat and the name of Kutch ruler in Devnagari script (Khengarji in the picture above). On the reverse, the coin bears the name of the British Emperor (George V in the coins above) and the year according to Christian calendar. The reverse of the coin has Urdu script.

If you are interested in buying coins of Kutch Princely state, follow this link.