Email received from Amit Mehta

Before I proceed, let me introduce myself. I am an engineer by qualification, a businessman by profession (third generation in a family business) and a budding numismatist. My current focus is mainly on the study of coins of various states and political authorities located in the present day State of Gujarat, in India. The subject of my study currently are the coins of Baroda, Bharuch and a some of the states located in the Kathiawar (Saurashtra) area like Junagadh and Navanagar.

I have also co-authored a book titled, “Heritage of Gujarat through Coins – The Princely States of Chhota Udepur, Deogarh Baria, Lunavada and Sunth” which is regarding the coinage of the four States, namely Chhota Udepur, Deogarh Baria, Lunavada and Sunth, in the erstwhile Rewa Kantha Agency of the Bombay Presidency.

Sometime in 2010 or 2011, I had picked up a small lot of six-seven coins from a friend, which are similar to the ones listed in the SACPM as KM C#20, issued during the rule of Nek Nam Khan, dated AH 1176. Most coins in that lot which show 2 digits of the date, but there is one that shows 3 digits. The three digits are 1 8 7 which led me to conclude that the coins are dated 1187 or 187x. The coins which display 2 digits of the date, show the date as either 8 7 or 7 6. Back then, I had a lengthy discussion on this topic with Mr. Shailen Bhandare and he concluded that the coins were dated 1876, with the word below the digits reading ‘Samat’. He read the mint name as Zila’a Bharuch. Another factor that goes against the date being read as 1187, in my opinion, is the mint name Zila’a Bharuch - which was not the name used during the reign of the Nawabs or even half a century thereafter and the presence of the word ‘Samat’, denoting Vikram Samvat.

In your article - “The Coins of the Bombay Presidency – The coins of the Northern Districts”, published in the JONS 182, you mentioned that in 1820, after a decision was taken to produce copper coins at Bharuch, the Collector there had sent some examples of the Pice minted in Bharuch to Bombay for examination by April of the same year. The assay master reported that the coins were ‘wretched in the extreme’ and immediately ordered a stop to production. In 1821, permission was given to strike coins if the quality of the coins was improved.

Figures of minting during a later period are mentioned in the article but there is no mention of the quantity of coins minted in 1820 & 1821. You also note about the ruling on a petition filed by the Shroffs of Surat, a little before 1824, wherein Mr. Prendergast had ordered the Bharuch Pice to be struck with the “Mark of Sirkar” which, as you conclude, are the coins that have the bale mark struck on both sides. This must have followed the copper coins minted with the St. David cross which could have been the coins minted in 1820 or the improved coins minted in 1821 or later to a little before 1824.

This led me to re-think on these coins which I have:

1.      In 1820, Bharuch was firmly in the hands of the British administration for over 15 years.

2.      The date, VS 1876 seen on these coins would correspond to 1820 AD. This is about the same time as the British issue of the coins at Dholera with the Mint Name written Bandar Dholara.

3.      You mention that the mint master at Bombay found the coins minted in 1820 'wretched in the extreme' and ordered their minting to be stopped. However, it is possible that till this order was received at Bharuch, the mint might have struck a small quantity of coins, very few of which may have survived.

4.      The copper coins with the St. David cross (listed as type 1) were possibly the improved coins minted in 1821 and later till a little before 1824 (though it cannot be ruled out completely that the same design was also minted in 1820) and the copper coins with the bale mark struck on both sides of the coin (listed as type 2), would have been struck from ‘some time before 1824’ till closure of the mint.

I would like to have your views about these coins of Bharuch minted around 1820 (VS 1876) which bear the mint name ‘Zila’a Bharuch? Is there any possibility that these were the coins that were the first samples sent to Bombay for approval in 1820 and rejected or would these possibly be some private issues minted due to severe shortage of copper coins in the area?

While on this topic, I also seek your help about information on the copper coins used in Bharuch during the rule of the Nawabs, the first British occupation and the subsequent Sindhia rule. Were the copper coins circulating in Bharuch at that time issues of either Baroda or the Mughal / Nawab mints at Surat and Cambay? Or did Bharuch have its own copper coins?

I look forward to your suggestions / expert views and help.

I attach images of 3 coins showing the date on the Bharuch issues I referred to and a few pages from the Book on the coins co-authored by me.