Other Mints in Bengal,
Bihār & Orissa. Also Tripura & Garhwal
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The mints, other than Calcutta that initially operated in the Bengal
Presidency, were Murshīdābād, Patna and Dakka. There was a mint
at Monghyr, but further research has led to the conclusion that it was closed
before the British acquired control. A copper pattern was prepared at The mint at Murshīdābād
issued gold and silver hammered coins that are indistinguishable from those
issued from the Calcutta mint, and they are catalogued in an earlier section.
Arkot rupees were also issued. This mint was closed in 1777, and re-opened in
1792 to issue the new milled coinage. It was finally closed in June 1795. Patna and Dakka each issued gold and
silver hammered coins with their own mint names (‘Azimābād
and Jahāngīrnagar respectively). However, in 1770/71 they were
instructed to issue coins that were identical to those of Dakka was briefly re-opened in 1782, but
the death of the mint master there, meant that only a few specimen coins were
produced, and the mint never went into full production. These coins have not
been identified but probably had the mint name Jahāngīrnagar. Like Murshīdābād, The milled coins contain secret marks to
indicate the mint of origin, so that any problems with weight or fineness
could be traced back to their source. Pridmore proposed an attribution of
these secret marks to the different mints, but further research, presented in
this section, indicates that these attributions were wrong. Tripura and Garhwal were occupied by the
British in 1761 and 1815 respectively and a small number of coins were issued
from these places whilst under British control. |
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Introduction In preceding sections the coinage of the Calcutta mint up to c1800 has
been discussed and catalogued, and references have been made to the other
mints in the Bengal Presidency. This section will discuss the operation of
these other mints in more detail, both the hammered and milled coinages. The
mints covered are Murshīdābād (where not covered in earlier
sections), Patna, Dakka, Monghyr and Cuttack. In addition, coins were
produced by the British in Tripura and Garhwal and these are also discussed
in the present section. 1765 (AH 1179/80) British acquisition of Murshīdābād,
Patna & Dakka As has been previously mentioned, the British acquired nominal control
of all of the mints of Bengal, Bihār and Orissa in 1765. The additional
mints were Murshīdābād,
The coins of Murshīdābād were identical to those of
Calcutta, and these have been discussed in an earlier section. Dakka and
Patna continued to strike coins showing their own mint names of
Jahāngīrnagar and ‘Azimābād respectively. Very few coins
appear to have been struck at Dakka and these coins are rare. The silver
coins of 1769 (AH
1183/84) – European Superintendence of Murshīdābād Although the British had acquired control of all the mints of the
Presidency in 1765, Murshīdābād, Patna and Dakka continued to
be controlled by the Nawāb and his officials until the end of 1769. In January 1770, Mr Irwin was sent to
Murshīdābād to superintend the mint [1] and from that time forwards, all of the
mints were increasingly controlled from Calcutta. 1770 (AH
1184/85) – New Style of coin produced at Patna & Dakka
In 1770 discussions were underway about standardising the silver coins
from the four mints so that the shroffs could not charge batta when exchanging them (see section 2). Both
Half
a sun and a moon on RY 10 rupee of Dakka Arkot Rupees Struck at
Murshīdābād Evidence
for Arkot rupees being struck at Murshīdābād comes from
letters between the Supravisor (sic) of the Company’s possessions at Dakka
and the Resident at Murshīdābād in 1770 [2]. The Supravisor at Dakka requested that
dies for the Arkot rupees should be sent from Murshīdābād.
This request was refused with the comment that the Government was anxious to
reduce the number of different coins in circulation, and that Murshīdābād
only struck Arkot rupees occasionally for use at Chittagong (see Cat. No.
2.196). 1771 (AH
1185/86) – 11 and 12 Sun Sicca Rupees In section 2, the scheme to issue identical coins from all four mints
has been discussed and a possible secret marking system also has been
discussed. All the coins are recorded in that part of the catalogue. 1771 (AH
1185/86) – Paying the Troops at Patna The decision to try to prevent the decrease in the value of the RY 11
coins, following the production of the RY 12 coins, had some negative
consequences, most notably on the pay of the Company’s soldiers. In September
1771, a problem arose with paying the troops at Patna [3]: By
the new regulations which you have been pleased to establish, sonaut rupees,
we apprehend, will no longer be procurable for the payment of the brigades
stationed in this province, we at present issue ľ sonauts & Ľ siccas and
the siccas are valued at 15 per cent better than current, agreeably to a
regulation established during Lord Clive’s administration but of late their
value in the bazaar has only been from 2 to 3 per cent better than sonauts,
and the Moorshedabad siccas have been one per cent worse than the Patna
siccas, notwithstanding we have done all in our power to make them pass at an
equal rate, and in other parts of the province the difference is still
greater. The
troops in consequence have not failed to express some discontent at being
paid even a Ľ in siccas and of course they will be much more dissatisfied now
that siccas must be paid them in a much larger proportion. We
beg leave to enclose for your observation a copy of a correspondence which we
had on the subject with Colonel Grant and we request to be favoured with your
commands on what terms the troops should be paid in future. Calcutta quickly replied and were particularly concerned that the
troops could tell the difference between the Patna and
Murshīdābād coins [4]: We have received your
letters of the 6th & 7th instant and are greatly concerned
at the inconveniences which lieutenant Tho’
our resolution is fixed for carrying into execution the new regulations
concerning the coinage and we expect every endeavour on your part to enforce
them within your department, we shall consider at the same time on some
measures to prevent the army being sufferers, and in the meantime we desire
that you will issue as many sonauts as you possibly can. It
appears suprizing to us that the troops at Monghyr or indeed that anyone
should be able to distinguish the Patna siccas from those of Muxadavad after
our positive orders have been issued that all siccas coined at the different
mints of Muxadavad, Patna, Calcutta and Dakka should be of the same fineness
and stamp and that they should have no distinguishing mark whatever. We
desire that you will make an enquiry into this matter and inform us of the
result. The reason for the difference between the two rupees was eventually
identified [5]: We have been favoured with
your letter of 16th September and shall pay strict obedience to
your commands. We
are informed that in the mint at Moorshedabad the rupees are stamped immediately
upon cooling, whereas here they are rubbed over with lime juice or some other
acid and put a second time in the fire, before they are stamp’t and that this
makes a difference in the colour. If you approve it, we might cause the same
mode to be observed here as we are told is done at the city, but we believe
in spite of every precaution which can be taken, the shroffs will still
continue to distinguish the coinage of the different mints. We beg leave to
enclose for your observation four Moorshedabad and four Ordered
that the rupees be sent to the Mint Master with the directions to assay them
and report the results to the Board. The above extract confirms that Murshīdābād and We
have received your letter of the 8th instant, enclosing musters of
siccas from the Muxadabad and Patna mints in which a difference of colour is
very perceptible, and to put a stop to a distinction which tends to the
obstruction of our design of having nothing in the appearance of the rupees
coined in the several mints by which they could be distinguished from each
other, we desire that particular care may be taken in future that the same
method of coining may be used at the However, the assays revealed that there were further differences
between the samples of rupees sent from Patna and Murshīdābād [6]: …We herewith send you the
reports of the Mint Master’s assay of 4 Patna and 4 Moorshedabad sicca rupees
which were sent down to us from By
these reports you will perceive that the Moorshedabad sicca is deficient both
in weight and fineness and on the contrary that the As
such a deviation from the standard and consequently such a difference in the
rupees coined at the two mints must obstruct most essentially the success of
our plan, and will be productive of many inconveniences besides reflecting on
the credit of Government, we must particularly desire that you will
investigate the causes of it and be careful that the siccas be in future kept
up to the standard to their weight and fineness, and we desire that you will
be regular in sending us monthly a rupee taken indiscriminately out of those
in the mint that the same may be assayed and reported to us. The authorities at Murshīdābād disagreed with the
findings [7]: On receipt of your commands
of the 29th ultimo we ordered an immediate and strict
investigation into the causes of the defects alleged to exist in the Moorshedabad
coinage. Reports have in consequence this day been laid before us by the Naib
Duan and the assistant superintending the mint. From these (of which we
transmit copies for your further information) it would appear that such
allegations are without just ground and that the Moorshedabad rupee of the 12th
sun is in fact both in weight and fineness rather superior to sicca standard.
We shall be particularly careful in giving injunctions for their being at all
times kept up to the standard in both respects and we shall regularly
transmit you a rupee every month taken indiscriminately from those in our
mint to be assayed and reported at the Presidency. A rupee is now forwarded
to you for this purpose. Ordered
copy of the report of assay be sent to the Mint Master with the rupee for
assaying and that he be directed to make his report to this Board. London was informed of the problem with the
Murshīdābād/Patna coins in November 1771 [8]: To enforce and support these
regulations which we have made in regard to the coinage has been our constant
endeavour and care. We were therefore surprised on being informed from Patna
that the Moorshedabad siccas were considered and passed in payment in the
bazaars at an inferior value to the Patna siccas, and that the troops were
much dissatisfied at receiving them in payment as they sustained a loss on
them of 3 or 4 per cent. As
our regulations had forbidden any distinction in the stamp and the mark, or
difference in the weight or fineness of any of the siccas, we were at a loss
to find out the method by which they distinguished the Patna ones from those
of Moorshedabad and directed that 4 of each sort should be sent us from
Patna. On the receipt of them we plainly saw a difference in the colour of
the silver, which the letter accompanying explained to arise from a different
method in the coinage, and by the report of our mint master there was found
some difference in the fineness. Those of Patna being somewhat above and the
Moorshedabad ones being a little below standard. Our
immediate orders for having the same method of coining pursued in both mints
and injunctions for having the standard and fineness strictly adhered to
will, we hope, prevent in future such distinctions in their current value,
and remove those obstructions which have been thrown in the way of the new
regulations by the shroffs, whose chief support and maintenance have been the
batta and exchange of rupees. The problem of paying the soldiers was discussed further by General
Barker in November 1771 [9]: I have perused your favour
of the 16th September respecting the new regulations for
establishing a fixed currency throughout the provinces, and the abolition of
the custom of the fall in the value of the sicca rupees of the preceding
year. I conceive that if these regulations & the currency of the new
siccas are well established in the revenues, & supported with rigour by
the Councils of that department, there can be no hesitation in the exchange
in the military bazaars, & consequently no loss to the soldier, for by
the information I have obtained, the cause of the complaints of the losses on
the exchange of the sicca rupee, arises from their not passing current at the
same batta in the provinces as they are issued by the paymaster. The
shopkeepers cannot pass them in the country but at a considerable discount,
& consequently refuse to receive them but at the same value. If the new
siccas are made to pass current in the provinces for the value they are
received at, they will of course pass so in the military bazaars. I presume
it will be necessary to abolish the currency of the sonaut rupee, otherwise
individuals will judge of the value of the sicca by a comparison with the
sonaut, & the sonaut must rise nearly equal to the sicca as they grow
scarce, the intrinsick value being the same. There appears to be one
effectual way of accomplishing this, which is by receiving in the revenues
those rupees for something less than their currency. As
at present a general order exists that the troops are to be paid in sonaut
rupees, it will be necessary that another order be issued by the Honble
President & Council, for paying the army in siccas only, with such a
batta that there may be no increase or decrease of the soldiers pay,
according to their present allowance. The commanding officer of the brigades
will then regulate the currency in their bazaars & the soldier will
exchange his rupee for the same he receives it. I
must further beg leave to observe that it will depend entirely on the
Councils of Revenues & supervisors of districts to enforce these
regulations, for it is of no signification what specie the army is paid in
provided the troops can exchange their money for the value they receive it,
the usual allowance to the shroffs excepted. By the middle of 1772, the Patna mint was at a standstill and there
were still problems with paying the troops [10]: We have not sent you a
muster of rupees as the expense of coining being more than the differences of
batta between siccas and sonauts the mint is in consequence shut. In our
address of the 7th of September
we represented the difficulty we apprehended we should meet with in
procuring sonaut rupees for the payment of the brigades stationed in this
province, & the inconvenience of paying them in siccas on account of the
discontent arising from the loss of batta and requested to be favoured with
your commands on what terms the troops should be paid in future. We now find
it difficult to procure a sufficiency of sonauts & the batta is still
lower than ever being as follows Patna 11 sun siccas 1..4 ditto Moorshedabad 12 sun siccas 1..12 ditto Moorshedabad
11 sun siccas 1..10 ditto This is the present difference
in our bazaars though they are all received into and paid from our treasury
on equal terms. Were only siccas received into our treasury & the
payments to the army made entirely in that specie at such a rate as you might
think proper to fix, so that the currency of sonauts might be entirely
abolished, the above mentioned inconvenience would be entirely removed. We
must beg leave to observe that the Company suffer a considerable loss by the
lowness of the batta. About 2,000,000 rupees of our revenue are paid in
siccas and these used to produce about 2,060,000 sonauts whereas they now
only produce 2,030,000. The problem was finally resolved by paying the troops in siccas: Resolved that the troops in
future be paid in sicca rupees & ordered that a new account be drawn out
of the pay and batta of the troops in sicca rupees instead of sonaut
estimating the sonaut rupee at 11 per cent better than current and the sicca
at sixteen, 1772 (AH
1186/87) – Low Output of the Murshīdābād Mint In March 1772 Murshīdābād forwarded a letter from Mr
Irwin, the superintendent of the Murshīdābād mint, to I think it incumbent on me
to endeavour to assign to you the reasons of the great decrease which will
appear in the duties of the mint this year, and why they have fallen so far
short of the estimation put on them at the last Pooneah. When the settlement
for the year was on foot, I mentioned to some of the gentlemen of your Board,
that the mint was much overrated, and that it was never to be expected that
the collections in that department would again amount to above one third of
either of the two preceding years as the reasons for the great increase in
those times would, it was hoped, never occur again, namely the distresses of
the people of all stations in the very severe famine, which induced them to dispose
of all their plate and ornaments. This is the only kind of bullion that comes
to this mint (excepting what is brought by the Dutch Company) and before the
two preceding years just mentioned seldom exceed one lack of sicca weight,
but was generally far short of that. The duties of 2˝ per cent (exclusive of
the charges on the silver brought by the Dutch) composed the principal,
indeed nearly all that was collected. They have this year very little
exceeded the half of their former coinage, and these are the reasons why this
year’s duties will not amount to what it did three years ago. Mr Irwin went on to suggest that the shroffs could be encouraged to
take more silver bullion to the mint if the charges for coining were reduced: The immense duty exacted on
all other silver is an obstacle and a great discouragement to its being
brought into the mint, and as the secret means of increasing the currency of
the country (and I take it the chief end of a mint is for that purpose) is by
encouraging the coinage, I would recommend a remission of one half from the
present duty in order to induce the shroffs to collect and send in all the
bullion they can. The Government at present draw 5 per cent on it clear of
the charges of coinage. If it should be reduced to 2˝ per cent I am pretty
certain a greater coinage would ensue, and tho’ no immediate profit to
Government by an increase of duties, yet great advantages would arise to the
country from the increase of the currency. 1773 (AH 1187/88) – Report on Gold Coinage at Patna &
Murshīdābād Very little information about the early gold coinages of the
Murshīdābād, Account of Gold mohurs
coined in the In
the 10th sun 18,149-13 In
the 11th sun 4,817 In
the 12th sun 2,048 Total 25,014-13 NB There were several smaller denominations struck & these are
included in the above amount. In pursuance of your orders
contained in your letter of 22nd November, I have the pleasure to
enclose you an account of the number of gold mohurs which were coined in the
Moorshedabad mint of the 10th 11th & 12th
suns 10th
sun 73,928-6-13-3 11th
sun 60,311-6-9-1 12th sun struck to the end of Ranzaun of the present 15 sun
of Shah Allum on Total 171,886-14-15-3 The production of gold coins at Patna was halted in 1773 [13]: On a report made to us by
the Mint and Assay Master of the business of the gold currency coined at
Patna which although pretty exact in weight turned out in assay only 22
carrats 2 grains fine instead of 23 carrats 3ľ grains which was the fixed
standard, we resolved, as no payments on account of the revenues were made in
the gold specie, to forbid their coining any more except a few at the
commencement of each year for the usual nussars to the King etc., at the same
time directed them to enquire after the offenders and if possible to discover
them that they might be severely punished. 1773/74 (AH
1187/89) – Closure of the Patna and Dakka Mints The extract above shows that the Patna mint was still operating in
March 1773 and apparently no plan was in place to close that mint because the
mint was to issue nazaranas at the beginning of each year. However, both 1774 (AH
1188/89) – New Mint Master at Murshīdābād Changes to the personnel at Murshīdābād took place in
August 1774, when Mr Edward Fenwick resigned as mint master and Mr
Christopher Keating was appointed in his place [14], but the Resident was not sure of his
role in this [15]: As I observe you have been pleased
to appoint Mr Keating to the office of Mint Master at the City under my
control as Resident at the Durbar, I beg leave to observe that I am somewhat
at a loss to know how far my authority is to extend and shall be glad to have
the nature of this appointment defined, both for the satisfaction of the Mint
Master and myself. And the authorities at The superintendent of the
mint at Moorshedabd in the execution of the business of his office and in
rendering his accounts is to act under your orders and control in the same
manner as Mr Irwin did under Mr Becher, the former Resident of the Durbar
when that appointment originally took place and afterwards under the Chief
and Council of Revenue at Moorshedabad. 1775 (AH
1189/90) – 15 sun sicca struck at Murshīdābād By November 1775, Murshīdābād had not received any
instructions to start coining the rupees marked with the 15th sun,
and this was causing some problems [16]: Permit me to lay before you
that the business of my office is much impeded on acct the Dutch
superintendent and black merchants will not have any more money coined of the
twelve sun sicca but want a new coinage of fifteen suns, they having heard
that money has been struck of that stamp at the Presidency. I have therefore
to request your orders for coining of fifteen suns. I have the honor to
enclose a half gold mohur & two sicca rupees struck the last month for
your inspection and flatter myself, with care, shall make my office turn out
to more advantage to the Honble Company than it has hitherto done. Permission was given to strike the 15 sun sicca at
Murshīdābād. 1775 (AH 1189/90) – Consideration of the re-establishment of Patna
& Dakka Mints Although the … we would recommend the
reestablishment of the mint. The good attending it we imagine would be the
establishing of one coin by the bringing in of the many spurious rupees at
present in circulation, whereby the inhabitants are subjected to whatever
imposition of batta the shroffs choose to fix for their own emoluments, and
the encrease of the currency by the coining of silver ornaments. All money
melted down for the manufacture of plate etc being at present so much lost to
the circulation, the proprietors however desirous of recoining it, not having
it in their power from the distance of a mint. We do not perceive any ill
consequences necessarily resulting
from the coinage. Care should be taken that the standard weight and
fineness be observed and that the mint might not be burdensome to Government.
The expense should be defrayed by those who send bullion to be coined which
the merchant would very readily comply with. Should
you think proper to re-establish the mint here, the view of reducing the
several kinds of rupees to one, would be better promoted by excluding the
Benaras rupee from the Treasury and receiving only siccas and sonauts as
before. Table
of Rupees Better than sonnats
Worse than Sonnats
This recommendation was considered in The Board being unwilling to
determine too precipitately on a subject of such importance and extent as the
re-establishment of the mints, propose the following questions for their
separate considerations 1. whether it is most
expedient to re-establish the mints of 2. Whether supposing the
ancient mints to be re-established all the rupees shall be struck as has
hitherto been the practice with the name of Moorshedabad only or the rupees
of each mint shall bear the name of the place to which it belongs. Agreed that these questions
be sent in circulation to the different provincial councils The subject was considered in a letter from the mint master in June
1775. He drew together the different views and presented them to the Calcutta
Board. Firstly, the views of Murshīdābād, the mint of which
had not then been closed [18]: …the mints at Patna, Dakka and
Moorshedabad are useful in facilitating the coinage of any sums of bullion
that the inhabitants of the respective districts may have to coin, and saves
them the risk, expense and delay which would attend sending their bullion or
money to Calcutta. Whilst the convenience of coinage was near, it might
perhaps induce people to recoin other species of rupees or bullion, which
they would not do when the risk and expence were so much increased by the
distance of the mint. Patna
is in a manner a distinct province from Bengal, and its peculiar situation
makes this reason for establishing the mint there of more force than at the
two others, but there is on the other hand a peculiar circumstance attending
the mint at Moorshedabad which seems as forcible as this, of which however,
you gentlemen are the only judges. We mean the priviledges the Dutch have by
their Firmaun of coining money here, which would be abrogated by the
abolition of the mint. If the mints are re-established at those places, the
shroffs will not fail to levy a batta on the Dakka and The
batta on rupees is a tax on the merchants, the farmer & the ryott, which
becomes the profit of the shroffs. Any circumstance serves them as a plea for
levying it and therefore if the coin could be reduced to that simple mode
which would remove every distinction, whether of specie or standard, we think
the country in the end would be benefitted. The shroffs will oppose every
attempt of the kind, and they are the most moneyed men in the kingdom. Of
course, they would for a while have it in their power to affect both the
revenue & trade, and if they were to remove out of the kingdom, they
would take a great deal of specie with them. How far this is an object to be
put in competition with the other we cannot pretend to say The Council at Patna considered that since local people preferred
their own local money, the mints at Patna and Dakka should be re-opened and
coins should be issued with their own mint names (‘Azimābād and
Jahāngīrnagar): …We have already represented
to you in our letter dated 27th March the expediency of
re-establishing a mint at this place and we apprehend the same reasons will
hold good with respect to Dakka. You will therefore permit us to repeat. We
are still clearly of opinion that the advantage of the Company, the
convenience of the inhabitants and the good of the country in general all combine
to render such a measure absolutely necessary. The difficulties the renters
labour under in procuring sicca or good sonaut rupees to make their payments
in, and the losses and inconveniences that result therefrom, we have before
taken notice of, and the impracticability of sending bullion & rupees of
a different specie to Calcutta to be re-issued is too obvious to need
mentioning. The abolition of the mint has had such an effect on the price of
both gold & silver bullion at this place, that it is now 4 or 5 per cent
cheaper than before was ever known. The renters are now unable to procure
rupees of standard value and must of necessity offer such money as comes to
their hands and as it will be impossible to affix any precise batta to the
various species of rupees in the currency of the province, continual
opportunities will arise to the shroffs for imposing upon us as well as upon
the ignorance of the natives, and diffidence and distrust universally take
place. If it is alleged that the siccas coined at Calcutta must eventually
pass through all the provinces, we will admit the position, but at the same
time we must observe that the inhabitants of different districts have an
aversion to any coins that do not bear the stamp of their own capital, and
this is evinced by the batta which is taken on the rupees of Calcutta and
Moorshedabad, tho’ superior to those of Patna in weight & fineness.
Besides it is scarce possible to coin the rupees in the different mints so
alike as not to be discovered. As you have therefore granted us the liberty
of offering our opinions in this measure, we humbly beg leave to recommend
the re-establishment of the mints of Patna & Dakka in preference to that
of a single one at Calcutta, and that the rupees coined at each place shall
be of one value in respect to weight & fineness and bear the name of the
place where they are stamped without being liable to any deduction in point
of batta in succeeding years, which though it may seem but reasonable when
the money shall have been worn down so as to have lost greatly of its
original weight, or have suffered by clipping or other arts practiced in this
country in the same manner as in Europe, may be obviated by its being called
in and undergoing a recoinage when the loss attending it will not be
considerable & must principally affect the monied men. The council at Dakka provided an even longer response, discussing the
pros and cons, and recommending the re-establishment of the mint: In considering the subject
of the questions you are pleased to propose to us in your letter of the 4th
instant concerning the coinage, we judged it would prove most perspicuous to
bring together into one point of view all the arguments which occurred to us,
either for or against the re-establishment of a mint in this province. They
are principally the result of local information, and we shall be happy if
they may be found in any way serviceable to you in the general regulations
you propose hereafter to adopt… …To
your second question, we reply that the rupees coined at Dakka were formerly
struck with the name of the place but latterly with that of Moorshedabad. As
to the future, in case the mint should be re-established here, it is our
opinion that the rupees should all be of the same standard and weight but
that they should bear the name of the place where they are coined, that the
stamp likewise should be minutely the same except only the name of the place
which is now specified in the lowest partition of the side which exhibits the
year of the reign. We see no reason for preferring a distinction of the coin
of each mint rather than having them all to bear the same name, but that we
apprehend the former mode will render it more hazardous to attempt frauds and
adulterations at either mint, and if there should be any they will be
probably less difficult to trace and investigate… The Dakka council presented the reasons against the re-establishment
of the Dakka mint. Firstly they discussed the fact that the Arkot rupee was
the main coin of daily use in the surrounding areas: If a mint at Dakka should
strike none but sicca rupees, it would prove favourable to zemindars etc by
preventing an exhorbitant batta from being charged upon their payments in
that coin during the two months of heavy collections. Sicca rupees are wanted
for no other purpose. Arcot rupees are advanced to the weavers for the
investment of this district and that of Luckypore, and to the molunghees for
salt. In short this is the chief currency of the province except in the town
of Dakka. The French formerly imported their own Arcot rupees which pass
everywhere current, but principally about Gualparah, Chilmarry etc, &
merchants, when the trade of the district flourishes, send Arcot rupees from
the Presidency. The sicca rupees formerly coined here were sent principally
to Moorshedabad as revenue, and the English provided their investment with
Arcot rupees transmitted from If
the circulating quantity of Arcot rupees should be diminished, without
conciliating the minds of the people to the currency of Sa rupees, we
conclude that the former, being difficult to procure would bear a high batta.
The Company, taking Sa rupees from the revenue treasury must buy up Arcot
rupees to advance to the weavers & salt manufacturers to the amount of at
least 20 Lacks of rupees, and the loss would fall upon the Company. The loss
now arising from a high batta upon sicca rupees at one particular season of
the year does not fall upon the Company but upon the zemindars & ryotts. So
far we agree upon a supposition that it is the object of Government to
introduce the sicca into general currency and would only allow that species
to be coined at Dakka, but such is the influence of prejudice and custom over
the minds of men in general, and particularly with the men of this country
and so prevalent has the skill of chicanery of money jobbers hitherto proved
for defeating publick regulations in the coinage, that the practicability of
such a scheme appears very uncertain upon the subject. It may not be unworthy
of remark that the introduction of a higher denomination of money in any
other country tends to raise the price of wages and commodities. They went on to discuss the possibility of opening a mint specially
for the production of Arcot rupees: As to a mint for the coinage
of Arcot rupees, we think there is great room to doubt whether any
considerable benefit would result from such an institution, because if the
trade of this province is good and prosperous there will be an annual
importation of Arcot rupees for the purchase of cloths, beetlenut & grain
to the amount of many lacks of rupees and because the distribution of the
current species from wear and clipping cannot be considerable as to keep a
mint in continual employ. As usual, they referred to the malign influence of the shroffs: Moreover it may [be] doubted
whether the expense upon [burning] and recoining old silver would not prove
greater to the proprietor, than the loss arising from the valuation of the
bankers at which it might be passed in circulation provided the trade of
money is unrestrained, & individuals are not compelled to submit to the
valuation of any single banker. We heartily wish any plan of measures could
be formed effectually to destroy the combinations & pernicious arts of these
men, which has at all times been a subject of complaint. Hitherto our
Government has certainly failed in this important […]. For in a country where
there is such a great variety of coins in currency, where particular
denominations of money are appropriated to particular articles of
merchantdizes, where purity of the standard coin renders it more liable to
loss from friction, where there is no check upon clipping, like the milling
of the English and many other European coins, and where all the authority of
Government has proved insufficient to impose a price upon its coinages beyond
the intrinsic value of the metal. The interests of society seem to [be] under
the employment of bankers and money changers necessarily, and it appears
difficult if not impossible to prevent deceitful and fraudulent practices.
The establishment of a mint appears indeed the most likely expedient, but the
influence of a mint in putting a just valuation upon debased money can hardly
extend beyond the town where it is established. Finally in their arguments against re-opening the Dakka mint, they
drew attention to the fact that a multiplicity of mints increased the chances
of differences arising between the coins from the different mints, and
increased the opportunities for the shroffs to charge batta: A multiplication of mints
increases the hazard of variation from the established standard, and makes it
more difficult to trace frauds in the coinage. From some cause or other it
has generally happened that rupees coined at different mints, although
declared to be of equal standard have been subjected to a batta upon their
currency when transported from one place to the other respectively. This we
suppose to have arisen in some cases from a real difference in the standard
but more frequently from the artifice & collusions of the shroffs. The arguments in favour of re-establishing the Dakka mint included the
fact that it could alleviate the local shortage of sicca rupees: The re-establishment of a
mint at Dakka would produce the good effect that as the revenues are paid by
the principal farmers in sicca rupees and no other species, the operation of
a mint might prevent the inferior tenants and ryotts from being injured by
the chicanery of bankers and those through whose hands the money is conveyed
to the publick treasury. This is done every year in the season of heavy
collections when the demand for sicca rupees becomes most pressing and there
is accumulated in the bank or treasury to the amount of 8 [lacs] or 1,000,000
sicca rupees. In the last year particularly the batta rose as high as 12˝
percent above Arcot rupees or 4˝ percent higher than the established
Company’s valuation, and if any other single species was to be required for
the payment of the revenue, as gold for instance, which is not commonly
current, or passes but in small quantities thro’ the province, the like
temporary enhancement of its price would necessarily prevail in the markets.
Thus an exorbitant batta may be raised upon the Sa rupee because it is
employed in this district not otherwise than as an engine of payment in the
publick revenue, and not being the current coin of the district its
circulation is almost confined to the town of Dakka, where it is converted
into an instrument of advantage amongst those who are enabled to keep up or
pay away large sums in a very short space of time. When the periodical
payments of the revenue are small, the sicca rupee sinks below the common
equation of 8 percent above the Arcot rupee. It
has not happened for several years that any money has been sent out of the
province in publick revenue but if after paying the advances of the Dakka
& Luckypore investment etc there should ever be a balance of treasury to
be remitted to the Presidency in sicca rupees, the scarcity of this species would
thereby be annually enhanced, because there is little or no importation of
sicca rupees for any article of trade. A mint therefore would be able to
supply that diminution. In addition, the mint might make a small profit, but this was likely
to be insignificant: A small revenue used to be
paid by the mint, but this is a trifling object. Besides, supposing the same
quantity nearly to be coined at one general mint as at several provincial
mints, Government will probably draw a greater benefit from having only one
establishment. The difference on either side cannot be considerable. A new mint at Dakka might be useful for re-striking worn coins: As little or no money is
carried out of the province, a mint might be beneficial for the purpose of
renewing the current coin when it became much debased by friction &
clipping, and the possessors are more liable to be injured by the arts of the
bankers in giving an arbitrary value to it from this latter circumstance.
There is a considerable tax now raised by them upon old rupees under the
title of ramkummah, to the amount of 2 & 3 percent. This we understand to
be a charge inclusive of short weight (which is generally called kum wozn
[wozu]) taken to make good to the purchaser of very old and battered rupees
which are frequently mixed with base rupees of copper & toothanague etc.
The loss which may be supposed to arise in burning them down for the purposes
of the silver smith, and reducing them to the standard of sicca rupees, or in
transporting them to Calcutta or Moorshedabad to be recoined. The members of council who had previously supported the re-opening had
now changed their minds and, overall, they considered that the disbenefits
outweighed the benefits: It appearing doubtful from
the above arguments whether the establishment of a mint in this province will
be attended with benefits or disadvantages, and messers Pushing and Holland
having positively decided in favour of a mint by their former recommendation
of it to the Honble President in Council, to avoid an apparent inconsistency
they beg leave to remark that they have now considered the subject in an
enlarged sense as it may affect the country in general, whereas when they
formerly recommended the re-establishment of the mint it was upon the
pressing representations of the zamindars & farmers of the inconveniences
they experienced from its abolition, and merely as it might be an ease to the
people under the immediate care of this Board in the payment of their rents.
Mr Shakespear begs leave to refer to a minute recorded by him on 30th
March last for his sentiments as to the benefit likely to accrue to this
province in particular from the re-establishment of its mint partially
considered without any reference to what might be the effects of a general
institution of provincial mints throughout the Company’s possessions. Mr Shakespear was absent when the matter was discussed by the Dakka
council, and he sent in his own views. His main point was that when taxes had
to be paid in siccas, the shroffs knew in advance when this was going to
happen, and raised the batta on
siccas. In earlier times, when there had been a mint in Dakka, people sent
their coins to the mint to be recoined into siccas and avoided the shroffs
extortions. Now, I beg leave to call the
attention of the Board to the immediate removal of a grievance which bears
extremely hard upon the zemindars and requires a speedy remedy. I mean the
very extraordinary and exhorbitant batta upon the sicca rupee. In perusing
the proceedings of the 29th December last (at which time I was
absent), with pleasure I observe the Board have already considered the
subject & recommended to the Honble Governor General & Council the
re-establishment of the mint as the most likely measure to reduce the batta.
But as we have not been favoured with any reply to that recommendation, I
move we immediately address the Honble Board again upon the subject. From
the best intelligence I am able to obtain, the batta is now 12-8 & 13
rupees percent between the Arcot & sicca rupee and added to this is a
charge made by the shroffs under the name of kumkumma (or short weight) of 4
or 4-8 rupees percent. This raises the difference between the Arcot and sicca
rupee to near 17 percent, when formerly, so late as the beginning of 1774, it
was never higher than 7-12, and sometimes so low as 5, and no kumkumma
demanded or paid. The only cause I can discover for this extraordinary
difference is the abolition of the mint, and the only remedy its
re-establishment, as already recommended by the Board. Arcot
rupees being chiefly used in the provision of cloths (the great staple
commodity of this district) hardly any other specie is used in payment of the
revenue to the farmers. Indeed it is a prevalent custom throughout the
district for them to receive no other, and engagement obliges him to pay the
Government wholly in sicca rupees. The shroff or banker, well knowing the
times of payment and that the farmer must at all events and at any price have
sicca rupees, fixes the exchange at his own arbitrary rate, and the farmer
without resource is obliged to purchase them on any terms. Formerly this was
not the case. All persons who had money sent it to the mint as bullion. It
was reissued at little expense and the sicca rupee being so plenty and so
easily obtained, the batta fluctuated in a very small degree, nay remained
almost fixed. The mint might be established without any expense to
Government. Indeed a small revenue might accrue from it, without loss to the
farmer as it would arise from the customary and allowed [russoom] upon the
coinage, which would somewhat more than [base?] the charges. We are too
distant from The Calcutta Council found this matter very difficult to decide upon,
and left the matter to be considered later [19]: We have received the
opinions of the Board of Trade and the several provincial councils upon
questions, referred to them, respecting the benefits or disadvantages that
would accrue from re-establishing the mints at Patna and Dakka and in case
they should be re-established whether it would be most eligible to stamp the
coins with the name of the station of each separate mint or continue as
formerly to affix only that of Moorshadabad. The sentiments returned to us on
this subject were various, and as we deemed the discussion and determination
of it, a matter of great importance, we only then recorded the different
letters, leaving the general subject to be hereafter considered. 1776 (AH
1190/91) – Cost of Running the Murshīdābād Mint The cost of running the Murshīdābād mint was reviewed
in 1776 and the report gives some idea of the names of people employed as
well as the costs [20]:
1777 (AH 1191/92) –
Closure of the Murshīdābād Mint In April 1777, the mint at Murshīdābād was closed [21]: Agreed that the mint at
Moorshedabad be abolished; that the Mint Master be not allowed to coin any
more money in it after the end of this month, but that he be directed to
bring down the balance uncoined, if any, to Calcutta. This caused a problem because the Dutch had been granted the right to
have their bullion coined in the mint at Murshīdābād, by the
Nawab. So the Calcutta authorities wrote a letter to the Dutch explaining
their proposal for dealing with this matter, namely that they could have
their bullion coined at Calcutta instead. All this was reported to London in
May 1777 [22]: Having received complete
reports from the several provincial councils of state of the currency of
their respective divisions, we have taken the subject of coinage under consideration
and as a preliminary measure to any regulations which we may hereafter think
it necessary to adopt on this head, we have abolished the mint at
Moorshidabad and proposed to the Dutch to transfer the privelege possessed by
their Company of coining a specific sum annually in that mint, to the mint of
Calcutta. The other arrangements which we shall make in the coinage of Bengal
not being yet finally determined, we cannot notify them to you by the present
despatch. And this was confirmed in a further letter to London in November 1777 [23]: … The Dutch authorities at 1782 (AH 1197/98) – Re-opening the Dakka Mint In 1782, the Dakka mint was briefly re-opened and Mr Becher was appointed
mint master. He was asked to prepare a report on the requirements for
re-opening the mint, and in his report he first discusses the mint building [24]: In obedience to your
commands under date the 14th June, I have obtained from Mr Paxton
and by other means every information I could to enable me to form a plan for
conducting the office you have been pleased to appoint me to in consequence
of your resolution to revive the mint at Dakka. I have inspected the spot and
remains of the building where the coinage was formerly carried on. It is so
much in ruin that if the business is to be carried on then I am persuaded it
will be most for the Company’s interest to erect the necessary buildings
entirely new. Should this be your pleasure I will order an estimate of the
expense to be prepared, and forward it for your future orders on the subject.
Building here is much cheaper than in He proposed that mohurs and rupees should be produced together with
fractions, and that they should be identical to those issued from …On the most mature
consideration and after the best information I can procure, I take the
liberty to recommend that sicca rupees and gold mohurs be the species allowed
to be coined in the mint, of the same standard as is coined in the mint at
Calcutta and I am of opinion that they should have no distinguishing mark,
that the shroffs may not be able to establish a batta on the rupees being
carried out of this province, which they certainly will do if there is any
distinguishing mark. I am further advised that smaller coins will prove a
convenience to the inhabitants. If you approve it, we may coin halfs,
quarters and eighths both in gold and silver… He informed …I enclose you, agreeable to
your orders, a list of such an establishment as to me appears proper at
present for conducting the business of the mint. Should any alteration
hereafter become necessary, I shall advise you and wait your orders before
any additional servants are admitted or expence incurred, except such workmen
as may be necessary on a considerable increase of coinage, and you may depend
I will use my best endeavours that the mint at Dakka shall be properly
conducted so as to prove of benefit to the inhabitants of this province and
of advantage to the Honble East India Company. Permit me to request that you
will favour me with your directions respecting the mint to be established
here, as soon as possible, that the business may be commenced. I apprehend I
shall have occasion for some sepoys as a guard, and an advance of some monay.
You will favour me in giving such directions as you may judge proper, that
these wants may be supplied… He suggested that the dies should be sent from …If you, Honble Sir and
Gentlemen, should approve my proposal for coining the sicca rupees and
mohurs, exactly the same as in the Calcutta Mint, I apprehend it will be
necessary that I should be furnished by the Mint Master with the dye used in
that mint and one or two people well versed in the business to enable us to
commence perfectly right. Should you concur in this sentiment I request the
favor you will issue the necessary orders, that there may be no delay in the
people proceeding here... He then added a number of other rather mixed points: …I take the liberty to
enclose you an indent of stationary, which will be wanted, and request that
it may be complied with. I am afraid the list of servants I now forward will
be found deficient, and that others will be required when the business goes
on. If any men are sent from List
of Servants necessary to be kept on the reestablishment of the mint at Dakka
Those servants to whom no pay
is affixed are to receive theirs according to custom from the Rezum only when
they are employed The Agreed that Mr Becher be
desired to hire a house for the purposes mentioned in his letter and that he
be informed that the Board approve of his coining sicca rupees and gold
mohurs of the same weight and standard as those of Calcutta but do not
approve of their being struck with the same dye, as the Board have
experienced many ill effects from that cause when the coins which were struck
in the mints of Patna, at Dakka and Calcutta were stamped the same with those
of Moorshedabad as it would prove an encouragement to [ellieis] coinage and
destroy the responsibility which each office holds for its own accounts. Agreed
that Mr Becher be authorized to make such establishments as he may find
necessary waving it till the business shall be so far in train as to admit of
a fixed establishment and that he be informed that the Board cannot
immediatley determine on his allowances as they think it necessary to have
some experience of the business of the mint, but that when they are fixed
they shall commence from the day of his appointment… The mint master was ordered to provide the dies, with the mint name of
the Dakka mint, presumably Jahāngīrnagar: …Ordered that the Mint
Master be directed to furnish Mr Becher with as many dyes as he may want but
with the name of the Dakka mint and to furnish such other assistance as Mr
Becher may require. Also a form of the books in his office and all orders
respecting the mint or coinage of Calcutta now in force. and, by September, gold and silver coins had been produced and sent to
Calcutta for assay [25]: I now forward you five gold
mohurs and five sicca rupees coined in the mint at Dakka which I hope will
meet with your approbation. I am assured they are exactly the same standard
with the money coined in your mint at and the coins were indeed found to up to standard [26]. Since the mint master was ordered to
provide dies with the mint name Jahāngīrnagar, the coins produced
presumably bear this mint name. What date they might show is a matter of
speculation. On the 13th
September I sent five gold Mohurs & five sicca rupees coined in the mint
here to be assayed in However, unfortunately, Mr Becher fell ill and died before any further
production took place, and the mint seems to have been closed. This is
confirmed in a letter to London [28]: Having thought it expedient,
as you will observe by our revenue consultations, to re-establish the mint at
Dakka, we gave the superintendance of it to Mr Becher who had been appointed
commercial chief at that station, and the coinage of gold mohurs and sicca
rupees took place accordingly under his direction. The samples which he sent
down were favourably reported upon by the Assay Master, but to our great
concern his death prevented his carrying our design into complete execution. 1790 (AH 1205/06) Milled Coinage at Dakka, Patna &
Murshīdābād As has been discussed in an earlier section, in 1790 a decision was
made to introduce machinery into the Bengal mints and to re-open
Murshīdābād, Patna and Dakka. As soon as the decision had been reached,
Lieut Golding was sent to Patna to begin work on building the new mint and
was able to report that he had arrived there on I do myself the honor to
inform your Lordship that I arrived at As
Captain Garstin had bricks to make and every other material to provide, he
had not commenced building when I arrived, or fixed on a spot. We therefore
immediately examined the different buildings, the property of the Company, to
see if there were any that might, at little expense, be converted to the
purpose of a mint, but it does not appear to me that there is one, which
would not incur a greater expence of both time and money to alter it, than it
will to build a new house from the foundation. Captain Garstin has taken down
part of a building which appeared to be the most promising, but the masonry
proved so extremely bad, that we have relinquished the idea of raising upper
rooms upon it, and have fixed on a convenient spot in the square, which was
formerly the customs house, where we have begun the foundation for a new
building, which will very soon be completed, as all the materials are
prepared. I
beg leave to assure your Lordship that nothing unnecessary shall be done, and
that the strictest economy shall be observed. I
am sorry to inform your Lordship that your apprehensions respecting the
laminating machine were but too well grounded. All that had been done
previous to my arrival was totally useless, but as much had not been done it
is of no great consequence. I have begun a new machine which will be ready
before the building is completed. Since
my arrival, I have seen a soldier of the 6th Battalion whose name
is Lovell. From his conversation and what I have seen of his work, he appears
to be a man of extraordinary mechanical abilities. He was brought up, and
worked eighteen years, in The Calcutta Board instructed the Commander in Chief to give the
necessary orders for the soldier, Lovell, to be released to help Golding
build the mint and so we also have a link with Boulton’s By March of 1790, Golding had left Patna,
where Robert Blake was left in charge [30]. Robert Blake was to become the assay
master at the new Patna Mint (see later), which post he retained until it was
closed. Later, in 1805, he was appointed mint and assay master at the
Farrukhābād mint which was built to provide coinage to the expanding
territories of the EIC [31] (see later section). By May 1790, work had started on the new
mint building at Dakka and Harris, at Calcutta, was able to report [32]: I am to request you will
acquaint the Right Honble the Governor in Council that the mint at Dakka will
require an upper roomed House of which one of the rooms both below and above
may form a square of 22 feet for the mill to work and two rooms adjoining for
the milling machine and adjusting room. That
it should be so situated as to admit of stores etc being brought to it by an
easy carriage, and the compound to the house should be commodious as sheds
erected on brick pillars and tiled will be necessary for the refiners. The
general run of go-downs about a house may be easily converted to the purposes
of an assay office, melting office and bullion office for the receipt of
monies, and redelivery when coined. An
order to the Collector for an advance of two or three thousand rupees will be
required for making these additions and alterations which can be immediately
set about, and when the length of the spindles for the mill are fixed, the
plan for altering and [replacing] the beams of the house can be set up. The
compound should be well enclosed to be secure against thieves. In
the instructions to the Collector the above is all that I deem necessary as
Mr Davidson, who is returning to Dakka, will, from what he has seen here [i.e. Calcutta], be able to judge of the conveniency of the place the Collector may
point out. The Board responded: Ordered that a copy of this
letter be sent to the Board of Revenue with instructions to order an advance
to be made not exceeding three thousand rupees by the Collector at Dakka to
the order of the Mint Master for the purpose stated, and to desire Mr Douglas
[the Collector] to afford any assistance in his power to
Mr Davidson in procuring a place proper for the mint, and, if none should be
found, to give him such assistance as may be required for constructing one. At the end of July, Herbert Harris (the Calcutta mint master) was able
to report on the progress that had been made with the mint at Dakka, by then
the most advanced of the subsidiary mints, and forwarded a letter from the
assay master there, Mr Davidson, to the Calcutta Government [33]: I made choice, as I formerly
acquainted you, with the approbation of Mr Douglas, of a piece of ground
adjoining to his treasury and Cutcherry house in the fort of Dakka, and which
I enclosed with a wall nearly eleven feet high, in length about 240 and in
breadth about 200 feet. The area of this space, I conceive, will be
sufficient for all the places that may be wanted for the mint. The
two principal houses of the dimensions required, will be covered in tomorrow,
and by the 7th or 8th next month, the upper and lower
rooms will be plastered, white washed and ready for erecting the mills and
the different machinery. Mr
Douglas paid the money ordered by the Board of Revenue, being three thousand
sicca rupees, which will all be expended in a few days as you’ll see by the
accompanying account detailed to the 22nd instant. As far as
receipt could be taken for expenditure, I have done it, but for many of the
small articles of expense, it was impossible. The remaining places that will
be wanted are: one for keeping and reckoning the money in; one for assaying;
one for refining; one for melting; one for weighing and filing it, besides a
place for the working mechanics. All these can be erected at little expense
against the wall enclosing the ground, except the first which must be a place
of some strength and security. Glass will be wanted for the windows in the
cutting and stamping rooms, and must be sent from Mr
Hughes, whom you proposed to be the working and superintending mechanic at
the Dakka mint, may be sent up as soon as possible to erect the mills and fix
the stamping presses etc, and along with him all the necessary articles you
can furnish from the Calcutta mint or procure in Calcutta, as most of them,
Viz: Iron, Lead etc, are very dear here. You will be so obliging as to make
application to Lord Cornwallis for more money to be paid here, and to let me
know if you wish for any particular dimension for any of the remaining places
that are to be built. The great article of expense as you will see in the
account, is chunam [a
type of cement], for which formerly at
Dakka, the price never exceeded 40 rupees per 100 maund. I was obliged to
stop the works for some days as none could be got in Dakka, but I have
engaged for 800 maunds deliverable by tomorrow or next day at 70 rupees per
100 maund. In October 1790 the mint master proposed the following establishments
for the mints at Patna and Dakka [34]: Proposed
Establishment of the
The table above shows 10 sets of duraps (men to produce blanks) in the
planchet office, and 2 men holding the die and 4 men striking the die in the
stamping office. This seems to imply that, at this stage, the mint master at George Davidson was confirmed as assay
master at Dakka and Robert Blake at …We are happy to add upon
this subject, that the new mints at Dakka and 1791 (AH 1206/07) – Dakka begins to strike coins However, there were still a few problems with the mints at I have to inform you that the
Dakka mint is ready as far as respects the buildings and should the Honble
the Governor General in Council chose to have it opened with the new
collections, I will immediately send away Mr Hughes who can now be spared
from the business of this mint [i.e. Calcutta] to put up the
fly presses for striking. One is ready there, and another I can make and have
ready to send up in a month. The
workmen I will also collect so as to be ready to send off the first of next
month. With
respect to the The
fly presses we had made for the Patna mint we have taken for the Calcutta and
shall as soon as the new press is finished for the Dakka mint put two in hand
for the Patna, which I shall be able to finish before the collections in that
province begin. The Calcutta Board responded: Agreed that the mint at
Dakka, which is reported by the Mint Master to be ready as far as buildings,
be opened with the collections of the new year from that country. That the
Mint Master be authorized to send Mr Hughes to Dakka for the purpose he
mentions to be employed under the orders of the Assay Master, Mr Davidson.
Also that the Mint Master be directed to provide those workmen etc who cannot
be provided at Dakka for the business of the mint, to be sent from hence
without delay. Agreed
that the Board of Revenue be informed that a mint will be opened at Dakka for
the purpose of recoining the money received in the collections of Dakka into
sicca rupees of the 19 sun, and that they be directed to give orders to the
collectors of Dakka, [Momensing?], Tipperah and Chittagong to send all rupees
to the Dakka mint (except sicca) to be recoined. With
respect to the mint at Patna: Agreed that the Mint Master be instructed to
write to Mr Blake, the Assay Master, to make a report for the Board’s
information relative to the buildings erected by Captain Garstin, and that
the Mint Master be ordered to construct the fly presses required for the mint
at Patna without delay. This is all confirmed in a letter from Calcutta to London (August
1791) [37]: …The recoinage in the Dakka
mint will commence with the new collections of the current year, the
apparatus being there in readiness, and the necessary establishment engaged
at the place or sent off when necessary from …You
will observe that the mint at The Dakka mint actually started operations in September 1791 (see tables
of mint output, below). In August 1792, work finally started on
identifying a site for the Murshīdābād mint and planning what
would be needed there [38]: I was duly favored with your
letter of the 21st ultimo informing me that the Mint Committee had
directed you to desire me to report to them whether there are any buildings
belonging to the Company in the city of Moorshedabad, in which a mint has
been formerly established or which are calculated to answer that purpose. In
reply I beg leave to inform you that the ruins of a mint are still remaining
at Homgbhoween near Mehaujumtooly in this city which has remained neglected
for these 16 or 17 years. The spot I should imagine from its vicinity to the
houses of the principal merchants of the place to be well calculated for the
re-establishment of a mint, and some of the old materials might perhaps be
used in making the new building. Excepting the above place I know of no
buildings belonging to the Company in which a mint has been established, or
is fit for that purpose in this city. For
the information of the committee, I beg leave to forward a rough plan of the
mint drawn by some of the officers who belonged to the establishment as it
formerly stood, and to add that I understand many of the workmen formerly
employed in the mint are still living. 1792/93 (AH 1207/09) –
Patna and Murshīdābād begin Coinage Pridmore states that Murshīdābād began operations in
October/November 1792 and …It is with great
satisfaction that we inform your At
the recommendation of the Mint Committee, we directed on the 6th
instant, that the collectors of the districts of Rajashahy, Dingepore, Purnea
and Bheerboom should be instructed to remit all rupees excepting siccas, to
the collector of Moorshedabad, who is to send them to the Assay Master for
coinage, together with all rupees (siccas excepted) that may be tendered at
his treasury. Die Production All the dies were produced at the Calcutta mint, and this is confirmed
in a letter from the mint master in 1793 [40]: Being about to despatch a
considerable quantity of dyes to the mints at Moorshedabad, Patna and Dakka,
I beg leave to represent the propriety of their going under a sufficient
guard, and would request the favour of you to procure the necessary orders for
that purpose. I imagine that two or three would do for the dispatch to
Moorshedabad, who would proceed on to and further confirmed by Mr Spalding a few years later [41]: At the time Government
ordered the provincial mints to be established it was their intention to
employ native die sinkers at each of the mints, which I perceived would be
attended with an expense to Government of at least eight hundred rupees per
month, including the native die sinkers then employed in the Calcutta mint. I
recommended and undertook to get the dies sunk for the Calcutta and the three
provincial mints in the European manner for the trifling sum of seventy five
rupees per month, which was accordingly done, and an expense prevented to the
Company of full seven hundred rupees per month, and that saving took place
from the time the provincial mints were established untill they were
abolished, a period of about six years, and even now the Company would have to
pay several hundred rupees per month for die cutters but for my having
introduced the European method of die sinking, as stated above for the
trifling sum of seventy five rupees per month. Type of Rupee Initially Produced at Dakka
At first, the Dakka mint, at least, must have produced the 19 sun
sicca dumps and it was not until 1794 that Dakka began producing milled
coins. This is revealed in correspondence between Dakka and We further request that your
Lordship in Council will be pleased to permit us to authorize the Assay
Master at Dakka to entertain an additional foreman and two filemen, and that
you will also allow us to apply to the managers of the orphan society for two
boys to be employed in milling the coin in the Dakka mint, and to authorize
the Assay Master at Dakka to provide for their food and clothing in a
suitable manner, reporting the monthly expense which will be incurred for
that purpose. However, the orphan boys were never supplied to Dakka and instead a ‘European’
was employed for the milling process, because Davidson, the Dakka assay
master, wrote to Calcutta in March 1794 [43]: Having not had any accounts
from you relative to the orphan boys for milling the coins, I suppose fit and
proper ones were not to be got. If the Governor General in Council would
permit me to employ a fit and proper European for executing the milling part,
I could procure one at an equal or less expense than the orphan boys, &
who would be sufficiently able to mill all the gold and silver coinage of the
Dakka mint. The
flattening mill, cutters & all the machinery for milling gold or silver
are and have been ready for some time, and the orphan boys only have delayed
my using them. I
would prefer the European I alluded to, or such another, to the boys for
several reasons. Thus, the assay master at Dakka quite clearly states that, whilst he
has had the machinery ready for some time, he has not started using it, and
in particular, has not used the milling machinery. This means that he had not
started producing the new coins at that time (March 1794). He was given
permission to employ a European and presumably started producing the new,
milled coinage shortly after this. Type
of Coins Initially Produced at Murshīdābād and Patna The tables of the output of each mint are shown above and below. Dakka
shows a marked reduction in output at about the time that milling was
introduced, and it is interesting that this same pattern is not visible in
the graphs for the other two mints. Assuming that the reduction in the Dakka
graph is due to the introduction of milling, a reasonable assumption as the
same effect was seen at Calcutta (see earlier section), and the fact that
Patna and Murshīdābād began operations much later than Dakka,
then it seems probable that these latter two mints introduced milling right from the start of
coin production. This matter becomes important later in this section, when
consideration is given to the secret marks assigned to the various mints.
Patna becomes Fully Mechanised By the end of 1794, only …On the 8th
article or planchet office, I do not think any reduction would be expedient
of the 11 sets of duraps proposed at Dakka and in the 10 sets at
Moorshedabad, for though these artificers may sometimes be unemployed, they
must at others be much hurried. But on a comparison with forming the blanks
in the Patna mint, it shews that by using the flattening mill and cutting
machines, the charge on that account, where the coinage has been less than at
the other mints, exceeds that which is proposed at Dakka and Moorshedabad,
above 50 per cent. But I would not recommend any reduction of the proposed
charges on this account at the Patna mint until it may be fully ascertained
by experience which of the two modes of forming the blanks promises the best
coin, viz by the flattening mill and cutting machines at Patna, or by the
duraps with the hammer as hitherto still practiced by each of the other
mints. Mint Output The output of the three mints from the time that each of them opened,
and until each of them closed, is reported in the records. The graphs show
the value, in rupees, produced each month in each mint. Looking at the graphs
for the gold coinage (p. 216), the output is shown in rupee value. The total
output of each mint has been calculated in mohurs, and is shown on each
graph. It is immediately clear that not many gold coins were struck by these
three subsidiary mints. Dakka struck the most but, even there, only 4600
mohurs worth were struck during the whole period that the mint operated. The
4600 would have included half and quarter mohurs, but these are not listed
separately in the records. Murshīdābād produced very few gold
coins, and
Attribution of the Coins to Mints
Rupees
of type 2 & 3 (see earlier section) The coins of the different mints have secret, or privy, marks to
identify them. For the rupees and mohurs, Pridmore identified these marks as
a tiny dot in the centre of the three circles of dots found on the obverse of
the coins [45]:
Secret
marks: Dot in right-hand circle He assigned coins with no dot to The graphic below shows an overview of
some of the key events affecting the four mints under consideration.
Considering the type 2 rupee, i.e. with Hijri date: this type was issued from
only three of the four mints and one of these was Calcutta. We know that the
agreement to omit the Hijri date was arrived at in the middle of 1792 and we
can assume that it took some time to produce new dies in sufficient numbers
to send to all the mints. We also know that a major shipment of dies was sent
to the three subsidiary mints in about December 1793. It seems reasonable to
assume that these dies were the new ones without the Hijri date (type 3). The
coins produced at Murshīdābād and
Overview
of key events The three mints that produced the type 2 rupee were therefore
The
new attribution of mint marks Distinguishing between the other marks is not possible at present, but
it seems reasonable to continue to follow Pridmore’s attribution for
Murshīdābād (i.e.) dot in centre circle, which leaves
The
new attribution of mint marks The
Calcutta Mint Mark Pridmore attributed coins with a tiny extra dot above the two dots in
the top line, to
Secret
Marks on Smaller Denominations Pridmore also identified different marks on the smaller denominations
of coins, but no further comments on his attributions of these marks to the
different mints are possible with the information currently available. The
hidden dots on these smaller denominations appear in the three dot groups on
the reverse around the beginning of the mint name.
In 1794, Mr Blake the assay master at Patna wrote to the mint master
at Calcutta discussing the shortage of copper coins, and informing him that
he had consequently struck some copper coins as a trial [46]: I beg leave to represent to
you an evil that exists at this place that in my opinion ought to be laid
before Government. This is the great scarcity of copper coin which is at all
times in great demand in this quarter, and the currency of it better established
than in most other parts of the country. At present the dearth is such that
only twelve annas or forty eight pice can be procured for a rupee. Whether
this dearth proceeds from a real scarcity or monopoly I cannot readily find
out, but in consequence of applications from all the principal merchants to
the mint for a supply of pice, and at the request of the magistrate, I have
coined a few sheets of copper into pice and have encouraged the propagation
of a report that a large quantity of copper is coming from Calcutta for the
coinage of pice here, with a view of opening the hoards if the scarcity
proceeds from monopoly, but this has not had the desired effect. Should
you think proper to represent this business to the Governor General in
Council, I am of opinion that one fly-press and two cutting machines to be
employed at the leasure (sic) intervals of the other coinage, would very soon
furnish a sufficient quantity of pice to reduce the price to 16 annas per
rupee, [and] that I will with much pleasure undertake the business on account
of Government However, the Calcutta mint master replied instructing him not to
strike copper coins and warning him that he would get into trouble if he
continued: In regard to what you say of
copper pice, I am most fully convinced of the entire rectitude of your
intention on that subject, but I must strenuously dissuade you against the
shortest prosecution or repetition of the trial you mention to have made in
regard to pice, either at the instance of principle merchants or any other
sanction whatsoever that comes not duly authorised from the hand of
Government. I
beg you to do me the justice to consider this admonition as proceeding from
the justest principles of propriety and the sincerest desire to preserve you
from censure, for which reason I cannot entertain a doubt of your paying as
much attention to it as if I had employed stronger terms in which to express
myself on this occasion. You
may however rest assured that I shall make such use of the intimations you
have given me on this article as may appear to be most conducive to public
utility and in addition to the information with which you have forwarded me,
I would request you to lose no time in stating the weight, intrinsic and
nominal value, and place of coining of the copper pice current in your
district; of how many sorts they may consist, and how many of each sort (if
more than one) go current for the sicca rupee. I would also particularly
desire you to apprise me what are the different prices of copper of each sort
in the neighbourhood of your mint; how much of each sort you may be of
opinion could be brought up from the publickly understood state of the
markets; and which sort of each kind you would recommend in preference to
others for the coinage of pice. Also of what weight each copper coin should
be, which in circulation may represent the value of half an anna sicca, or
six pye according to the English mode of account, and whether you think 32 or
64 to the rupee would form the most convenient and suitable copper coin for
circulation. In
so doing you will doubtless have regard to the difference you would recommend
between the intrinsic value, agreeably to the market price, and the nominal
value in circulation, with such reasons as in any way may influence your judgement
on the subject. As
I have no desire to conceal any matter that can in any wise be necessary to
your information, I am to apprise you that Government have for some time past
had in contemplation the subject of a copper coinage, but hitherto it has not
been determined upon. Your
communications may therefore be highly useful in answer to the querees above
proposed, but I need scarcely after this intimation on my part, urge the
necessity of confining it to yourself alone, as the promulgation of such intention
would tend to influence the price of copper, and enable individuals to take
advantage of the moment. Hence I conceive it would be perhaps more politic
rather to discourage rather than to encourage an expectation of the adoption
of that measure. In June 1794, Blake replied that he had only made a small trial run,
and provided the mint master with information about the copper coins then in
circulation [47]: …I am greatly obliged by
your observations stated in the 7th and 8th para of your
letter of the 8th instant. I beg to assure you that I have been
particularly cautious in this transaction not to expose myself to censure by
extending it beyond the limits of an experiment and this not exceeding ten
maunds. I find that the pice coined by Mr Prinsep is held in most esteem
here, musters of which I send you. There are half and quarter annas 32 &
64 per a rupee, and the only copper coin in circulation in this quarter
coined under the sanction of Government. Their intrinsic value as a coin is
seldom lower than 70 small or thirty five large for a rupee, and I find that
32 half annas or sixty four quarters weigh 38 sicca weight, or half a seer of
the Patna weight. Hence a maund of copper will coin into eighty sicca rupees. The
present price of copper at this place is 44 to 45 sicca rupees per maund of
76 sicca weight per seer. The sort which I think the fittest for the copper
coin is the sheets of the thickness of the half anna piece. Of this about 500
maunds can be procured here together with 500 maunds of the thickness of half
an inch, which would require some labour to laminate into strips before it is
cut into blanks. I
am of opinion that the copper coin being cut into blanks with the cutting
machines and struck in a fly-press with a guide or register (in the manner
the accompanying musters were struck) will be as great a check to the natives
counterfeiting the copper coin as the milling is to the rupee. The
accompanying musters, 1, 2, 3, 4, pass current as single pice with a batta of
one anna on the rupee worse than those coined by Mr Prinsep. The state of
this coin is such as I doubt not will point out the necessity of its being
reformed. From every information I can obtain, I find that four parts out of
five of the copper coin in circulation in this quarter is of the kind muster
1, 2, 3, 4, and this time no more than 54 to 56 per a rupee in the country,
but at Patna, where Mr Prinsep’s new pice only are current, they are not to
be procured at any rate. As the mint master had predicted, the The Board entirely
disapprove of the conduct of Mr Blake in coining pice without previous application
or authority and direct that the Mint Master be instructed to inform him if
any pice should remain unissued by the Assay Master at However,
Blake’s action did provoke a review of the copper coinage, and lead to the
production of a new coinage at Calcutta in 1795 (see earlier section) The identity of the copper coins struck by Blake is not known. However,
all the dies for the new milled coinage were prepared at In 1761 the Nawāb of Bengal, Mir Kasim Alī Khān, moved
his capital from Murshīdābād to Monghyr. He built himself a
palace and reorganised his army along European lines and ran the Government
of Bengal from there in a way that appears to have been approved of by his
subjects. However, he soon fell out with the British at Calcutta who had
begun abusing their ability to avoid paying taxes and resented the fact that
the Nawāb took steps to try to stop the practice. A British army was
sent to Monghyr and captured the fort in October 1763 [48].
Thenceforth, the town became part of There has been some debate about whether or not the British issued
coins from the Monghyr mint after they captured the fort. Extremely rare
mohurs and rupees exist dated 1176 ry 4 with the mint name Monghyr but no
other coins are known from this mint. The Hijri year 1176 finished on … the strictest care has
been ever had to keep the and, in 1775, Monghyr rupees were still available in the bazaar [50]: …You will please further to
inform the Board that the sicca rupees which are seen in the weekly state of
the Treasury are Mongheer siccas…
NB occupied by
the British in 1803 The possibility of a pattern coin having been struck at Cuttack by a representative
of the EIC was first reported by Thurston in 1893 [51] but seems to have been subsequently
largely overlooked, although it is discussed by Garg [52]. In May 1804, the Commissioner for I request you
will be pleased to make known to his Excellency the Most Noble the Governor
General in Council that a considerable inconvenience is at present
experienced in the province of Cuttack from the want of some current coin of
small value. At this time cowries are the only currency in Should his Excellency the most Noble the Governor General be
pleased to order a copper coinage for the use of the province of Cuttack, I
take the liberty of submitting a coin, the standard value of which should be
fixed with view of indemnifying Government in the expense of coinage, and
which should also tend to retain it in the province. With a view to ensure the ready reception of this coin, it is
proposed that the face should bear the figure of Juggernaut and on the
reverse the value of the coin might be denoted in the Persian and Oriah
language together with the year of coinage. From the want of proper artists in Ordered that a copy of the above letter be transmitted to the
Mint Committee and that they be directed to submit their sentiments
respecting the measures which should be adopted for the purpose of
establishing a copper currency in the province of Cuttack. The letter was forwarded to the Mint Committee, who felt that they
needed a number of questions answered before they could agree to undertake
such a coinage [54]. However, within a month, in June 1804,
the Accountant General was ordered to send as many pice as could be found in
the Calcutta mint, to Cuttack [55]. These were loaded aboard the ship
“Scourge” and sent to Cuttack on 16th August [56]. A further 30,000 rupees-worth of pice
were sent in 1813 [57]. The specimen referred to in the above
extract has not been traced, although it may exist in a museum in India. Rhodes and Bose published a rupee apparently issued under the
authority of the East India Company in 1761 [59]. A British force was sent to Tripura in
February 1761, and obliged the king to grant the area of Chakla
Rūshanābād to the Company. The rupee described by Rhodes and
Bose (see catalogue) was probably issued as part of this action and is,
presumably, a presentation piece. Rhodes published a copper takka apparently issued from a local mint in
Garhwal [60]. The coin is in the collection of the
American Numismatic Society (ANS 86.449/1921.54.835). The following account
is a brief summary of Following the war with |
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References