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Extracts from The India Office Records and Bombay Gazetteer etc

One interesting point raised by Lingen (internet discussion, South East Asia Group) is the fact that the mint passed to the British in 1800, which is ry 42 of Shah Alam, and yet the coins all apparently show the date of ry 46. It is not likely that coins would be dated with a year later than that in which they were struck (although there are many examples where they are dated with earlier years), so what happened between ry 42 and ry 46? Lingen suggests that there may be coins dated ry 42, 43, 44 and 45 from the Surat Mint and even suggests a possible candidate illustrated in Krause and Mishler (KM#724). More research is needed in this area. Pridmore suggests that ry 46 was a mistake for ry 42.

Ref: Pridmore p126-130, p168-170.The British first arrived at Surat………………………

Surat was the principal mughal port on the west coast of India and from 1612 until May 1687, the English factory at that place was the headquarters for the Company’s activities in western India.

When the British first arrived at Surat there was no mint in the town. Commerce was conducted in foreign gold and silver coins for the first few years that the Company resided there. In fact, their first factory was established in what had previously been the Nawab’s mint and which had been closed before the British arrived. However, in August 1618 the Company was obliged to move from this site because the mint was to be re-opened [1]. Henceforth, commerce had to be conducted using local mohurs and rupees and imported coin had to be converted in the Nawab’s mint. This is confirmed in a consultation of 9^th January 1621, which confirms that the Company was not allowed to export foreign coin [2] although they tried to get this order rescinded in March [3] and October [4]. They finally succeeded in November [5]. However, converting the foreign silver was not always bad and in 1626 [6], 1628 [7] and 1629 [8] the Bombay President (first Kerridge then Wylde) was able to report back to the Company in London that they could make a profit of at least 6% on foreign coins sent to them in Surat.

Confirmation is contained in a letter, dated Surat 25^th November 1630, addressed to the Factors at Cambay and Ahmadabad [9]. This states that the money needed to complete the Company’s investment at those places, would have been sent in rials had it not been for the avarice of the Surat Governor in respect of his profit accruing from the mint on their re-coinage into rupees. The letter goes on to say that they (at Surat) could not send more rupees than they did owing to the ‘slow despatch of quoinage in the mint’.

On the following day a letter to the Factors at Baroda [10] states they hope to send them more money

‘soe soone as wee may be furnished out of the Taunksall (= Hind taksal = mint) with rupees’.

A report from the President at Surat to the Directors in London dated 29^th December 1634 [11], sets out the methods used in converting foreign coin into local coin and some of the issues that they had to face. These included the payment of batta and the slowness of the local mint in converting their silver. However, the local Governor of Surat did recognise the difficulties that they were having and did lend them 75,000 rupees at no interest.

The slowness of the Surat mint in converting rials and bullion into rupees led to the President giving consideration, in April 1636, of sending the Company’s coin and bullion to the mint at Ahmadabad. At this place, so he informed the Directors, a greater allowance was given on the conversion and they could obtain a quicker return in rupees [12].

The President at Surat informed the directors [13]. of how and why the value of batta (called vatteau) changed with changing circumstances. The silver coin most used at Surat was the Mahmudi (sometimes called mamods in the records) but this coin came from the town of Mulher in Baglan (about 70 miles from Surat) and only circulated locally. When famine hit the area, rupees had to be used to buy grain from remote places because the mahmudi was not acceptable, and this drove up the batta. Once the famine was over the batta fell back down again.

At the same time the President discussed the process for getting foreign coins and bullion minted at Surat. This involved selling the treasure to the shroffs who then dealt with the mint because the people in the mint were so dangerous that the servants of the EIC didn’t dare to go there. However, the cost of minting was now free to the Company (presumably that meant that they only had to pay the cost of coinage with no extra taxes) and if anything unreasonable happened they felt confident that they could call on the Governor of Surat to put matters right.

He also admitted that a mistake had been made in calling Seville coins ‘old rials’ because the former contain more silver. The practice was to be stopped even though the shroffs made allowances for more or less silver in the coins.

In 1738 the mint at Surat was upgraded to be equal to that at Ahmadabad which apparently meant an increase in the charges to 7 per mille.[14]

Some further information of the time taken in recoining the Company’s money is contained in a letter dated Swally Marine (Surat) 27^th January 1642 [15]:

‘Upwards 1,700,000 rials were landed from the junkes returned from Mocha; consequently it took 33 days to pass the Company’s rials through the mint’.

Following the establishment of the mint at Bombay in 1672, the Company still continued to use the mint at Surat from time to time.

Bruce (vol 2, p613) records that during the season 1688-89, the Directors:

‘received information that a treaty had been negotiated with Muchtar Khan, the Moghul Governor of Surat, by which the Company were allowed to coin money at Surat, in the Moghul’s mint-house; but the Court preferred acting on the authority given them by their recent Charter, of having a mint at Bombay, as this would impress the Natives with the importance of the place; and they hoped, that in time, they would be able to supply the Bengal market with rupees coined at Bombay, or, at any rate, exchange their Bombay rupees for those coined at Surat, which would pass current in Bengal, or in any part of the Moghul’s dominions’.

The need for this treaty was evidently partly due to the lengthy delays in receiving newly coined rupees for silver sent in to the Surat mint, and no doubt also to the frustration, obstruction an ezactions of the shroffs. Hence the Chief and Council may have deemed it more advantageous for the conversion to be undertaken by themselves. In any case, the coins struck would have been the normal Surat issue.

Despite the Director’s wishes that the Company’s coinage should be confined to the Bombay mint, bullion continued to be sent to the Surat mint. The early Bombay rupees had a European design and according to reports, their circulation was limited. Thus, for unrestricted payments the Company either bought mughal rupees from the brokers or continued the custom of sending their silver to a mughal mint.

Concerning the Surat mint, although the Court of Directors had objected to the terms of a provisional convention of 1688-89, between the then Mughal Governor, which would have permitted them to strike coins in his mint house, a different view was expressed some years later.

Bruce (Vol 3, p297) refers to the Court’s instructions to Bombay in the 1699-1700 season recommending that

‘new privileges ought to be solicited, and, particularly, that a place should be assigned to the Company in the mint, (at Surat) to enable them to coin their bullion’.

Subsequent correspondence from Bombay in the years 1700-01 and 1702-03 reported that the Governor of Surat would not consent to the arrangement, but an entry in the Surat Consultations under the date 12^th June 1702, indicates how near to accomplishment this project came:

‘ On y^e 16^th of this month wrote y^e Droger of y^e Tanksall to bring him an acc^t of the ground belonging thereto: upon perusal of w^ch he appointed us a p^s out of it, 13 Cov^ts long 9 ¾ broad, & liberty to dig 6 Cov^t deep: upon w^ch wee immediately set Mess (men?): & Bricklayers to worke to inclose said spot of ground, & build convenient places for to coin and Keep our silver in. But y^e Tanksall Shroffs being alarmed hereat, met together and consulted of w^t measures to take to prevent our effecting w^t wee designed & agreed to bribe y^e officers; & meeting in great numbers, made great clamours, & hindred our people from working, upon w^ch we complained to y^e Gov^r, who sent the Ammeen & a Chubdar to forbid any to interupt our building. Then y^e Shroffs applied themselves to y^e Castle Gov^r, who again interupted our business out of pretence it was too near y^e Castle: y^t he did not know but wee might undermine it, so our worke stood still some days till y^e two Gov^rs had agreed upon matters between them. At last when we had almost made an end to diging, wee accidently hit upon a hollow place in y^e ground, w^ch y^e Shroffs &c^a laid hold of & said it went so far as y^e Castle, upon w^ch all was stopped again. And y^e Gov^r forced to order y^e ground to be filled up again, & promised us a p^s in another place’.

In December 1702, the Council made complaint against the moghul Governor and entered on record:

‘y^e present Gov^r had not complyed w^th his contract in giving us a place to coin our silver in y^e Tanksall’.

Under the years 1703-04 Bruce (Vol3, p552) records:

‘The government of the country is extremely shifting - the great age of the Mogul was daily increasing the appearance of a civil war, which necessarily affected the Company’s trade “because their Agents could not send their treasure to be coined at the King’s mints, as it might be seized, either before, or after coinage”’.

These brief notes indicate that the Company, as a safeguard and also to avoid the delay and frustrations experienced when sending bullion to be coined in the Surat mint, had sought permission to be allocated the necessary space in the Surat mint compound so that their own staff could execute the conversion into the moghul coin.

In 1717 authority was received to strike coins after the mughal pattern at Bombay, and from that year until 1800, the Munbai or Bombay rupee was the standard of the island.

Following an insurrection in 1759, the Company obtained possession of the mughal castle and fleet at Surat. They received the annual subsidy for the fleet’s protection and flew the mughal’s colours st the castle, but a native Governor still retained charge of the city and controlled the mint. Soon after gaining this influence at Surat, an agreement was made with the Nawab that rupees coined by both were to circulate at par within each other’s territory, and they were mutually pledged to preserve the standard. This concurrent circulation of both coins meant that in future there could be no real inducement for the Bombay rupee to be carried away for recoinage at Surat.

However, the Nawab did not keep his pledge and in October 1672, reports show that many bad rupees had lately been issued from the Surat mint. In April 1765, the Bombay government complained to Surat of the ‘Rupees of your mint being of late much debased’ and received a reply from the Chief there, who ascribed it to the fact that the mintwas under no proper officer. The debasement affected the trade of Bombay, for the petty shroffs in the bazaar started to refuse certain classes of rupees. After the Bombay Council had called upon the principal merchants and shroffs to gibe their opinion, a Consultation on the 28^th April 1767, directed publication to be made that the Bombay and Surat rupee would pass current at their full value of eighty pice to the rupee.

This measure seems to have been an attempt by the Bombay government to keep faith with their part of the agreement, and they followed this in June 1767, with an Order to Surat that the rupee should be kept up to standard. They also appointed one of their servants, Mr Perrot, a member of the Surat establishment, to be Mint Master of the Surat mint.

Naturally the Nawab rejected this arbitrary appointment of an Englishman as mint master to his mint, but he did agree to alter the alloy in the Surat rupee so that it should be madeequal to the Bombay coin. How long this standard quality of the Surat rupee continued after September 1767, is unknown. By 1770 the Surat mint had ceased operations and in August of that year the Surat Board informed Bombay that the present pure coinage could not be continued. They stated it was absolutely necessary to make the rupee 1 per cent inferior to the Bombay standard so as to deliver 206 rupees to the Merchants for 100 German crowns.

The Bombay Council had to agree to this debasement and the Consultations of 17^th August, 1770, record the following:

‘as the agreeing to it seems to be a case of necessity, we must acquiesce, though even this will not remedy the evil, there being a mint at Poona where the rupee is of so base a coinage as to make the German crowns turn out Rs 212 ½ per 100, while ours here turn out only Rs 204-2-93 to Company’s servants and Rs 202-2-63 to private persons, which of course induces the proprietors of silver to export rather than coin it.

Resolved therefore in order effectually to stop this growing evil so prejudicial to the trade of this place as well as to that of Surat, that an export duty of three per cent be laid on all unwrought silver and silver foreign coins exported from hence or Surat….’.

The next step was taken in March 1771, when the Governor and Council desired that the Surat rupee be again made to the Bombay fineness, but in June, the Chief and Council at Surat informed the Court of Directors, London, that they had agreed with the Nawab to fix the standard of the Surat rupee at 2 1/3 per cent inferior to that of Bombay.

Over the next few years there followed correspondence with the Court of Directors and continued protests from Bombay, but to no avail. By 1784, the Nawab had further debased his rupee and according to assay it had now fallen to 3.364 per cent worse than the standard agreed in 1771. The alloy in the coin was 10.81 or nealy 11 per cent. On 2^nd December 1788, the Bombay government state that in consequence, the Bombay mint had become useless, and from January 1791 to November 1800, not a single rupee was struck at the Bombay mint.

On 13^th May 1800, a treaty was concluded with the Nawab whereby the civil government of Surat and its territories was vested in the EIC. Surat became a district of Bombay in 1803.

In the reorganization which immediately followed this transfer of power, a Mr. Church of the Company’s service was appointed mint master of the Surat mint, and its subsequent coinage was regulated to conform to the Company’s orders. The coins struck from 1800 were authorised by the EIC and are distinquished from the previous Nawab issues by their design.

The EIC took control of the Surat mint in May 1800 [16] and Mr Church was appointed mint master in July [17]. The mint continued to operate until 31^st October 1815 with its closure announced in the Bombay Gazette [18]:

‘GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENT

The Right Hon’ble the Governor in Council is pleased to announce for general information that the Mint at Surat will be abolished from the 1^st of the ensuing month on November and that the whole coinage under this Presidency will in future be conducted at the Mint at Bombay.

Published by order of the Right Hon’ble the

Governor in Council.

(Signed) F.Warden

Bombay Castle,

5^th October 1815.’

The coins issued were of the same type as those that had been issued from the Surat mint before the EIC took control. The same type was issued from the Bombay mint, all showing the regnal year 46 of Shah Alam (see above). Coins from the two mints are distinguished by privy marks on the obverse.

Coins of Surat can be distinguished from those of Bombay by the privy marks. Surat has plain dots whilst Bombay has a variety of dots and other symbols.

29^th July 1800 [19]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Acting Mint Master at Surat to Government dated 21^st July 1800.

I have the honor to transmit a statement of my receipts & disbursements for last month accompanied by a cash account.

20^th January 1801 [20]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master at Surat to Government dated 17^th January 1801.

Forwards accounts etc for December 1800 (accounts not present with covering letter).

20^th February 1801 [21]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Mint Master (John Church) to Government, dated 12^th February 1801.

Accounts for January 1801 for Surat Mint.

20^th March 1801 [22]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Mint Master (John Church) to Government, dated March 1801.

Accounts for February 1801 for Surat Mint. Approximately 71 Mohurs of gold and 29,575 rupees of silver.

17^th April 1801 [23]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Mint Master (John Church) to Government, dated 13^th April 1801.

Accounts for March 1801 for Surat Mint.

29^th May 1801 [24]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Mint Master (John Church) to Government, dated 21^st May 1801.

Accounts for April 1801 for Surat Mint.

8^th October 1802 [25]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat to Government dated 30^th September 1802.

Obediently to the instructions conveyed to me on the 9^th December 1801, I have availed myself yesterday of the first coinage that has taken place, to proceed to the mint and bring away the accompanying specimens, three of rupees and three of half rupees which I have now the honour to transmit.

The silver rupees and half rupees accompanying the above letter were on the 5^th instant sent to the Assay Master to report on their standard.

15^th October 1802 [26]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Assay Master (Mr Scott) to Government, 13^th October 1802.

I have received and assayed the 3 whole and the 3 half rupees from the Surat Mint which you sent me on the 5^th instant by order of the Honble the Governor in Council. They are somewhat above the regulation in weight and somewhat below it in fineness. The deviation in either case is only a fraction of a touch so that I think it right to report them of a good quality.

I shall pay the produce of these rupees to the Mint Master who will credit it to the Honble Company.

Ordered that a copy of the above report be communicated through the Magistrate at Surat to the Mint Master there for his information.

7^th January 1803 [27]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat to Government, dated 3^rd January 1803

Agreeable to the arrangements formerly sanctioned by you for the exigencies of the copper currency here, a supply of coinage amounting to above 18,000 rupees has, upon the proportions pointed out, been issued to the city within the last three months by the Mint Master who, for failure of materials, cannot proceed to the extent the circulation requires. I have therefore to request that a thousand maunds of copper in warehouse may be furnished him without delay for this work, as any discontinuance thereof until the measure wanted for the demand of this society be complete is very grievous to the current necessities of the inhabitants & the smaller traffic of the town.

Ordered that the warehousekeeper be desired to consign to Surat a further quantity of the copper in the warehouse to the extent above recommended and the departments at Surat accordingly advised.

22^nd July 1806 [28]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master at Surat (Mr. Wren) to Government, dated 15^th July 1806.

The general tenet of the letter was that the cost of production of coins at Surat was higher than that at Bombay, partly because the copper was removed from the bullion and replaced by lead, and partly because a customs charge of ½ % was imposed at Surat and not at Bombay.

13^th February 1807 [29]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (C. Wren) to Government, dated 29^th January 1807.

He enclosed a table of the mint costs for each stage of the manufacturing process, and described some aspects of the operation of the mint.

Five Bhurtiahs oversaw the operation of the mint. Three very young ones were descended from those who had served in the mint for half a century, and two who had recently transacted the business of the mint by themselves, and whose ancestors had belong to it for upwards of 75 years.

21^st July 1807 [30]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (Wren) to Government, dated 19^th June 1807.

He asked for advice on what alloy to add to the silver.

The reply referred him to instructions sent on the 13^th January in which it had been stated that ‘equal parts of copper and lead’ should be used.

21^st August 1807 [31]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (wren) to Government dated 29^th July 1807.

He explained the problems of standardising the Bombay and Surat rupees.

Letter from Government to Mint Master at Surat (now White) 21^st August 1807.

The Bhurtiahs were to be replaced by a Superintendent reporting directly to the Mint Master and paid by the Company as a salaried employee. The present Bhurtiahs may become contractors if they chose, and would receive half a percent for the contract. If they refused then the Mint Master was to consult the Chief and Collector of Surat as to the next steps to be taken.

28^th August 1807 [32]. Bombay Consultations.

Minute.

It was on the 25^th instant ordered that the Judge and Magistrate at Surat be directed to issue a proclamation announcing that the rupee coined in Bombay was to pass as a legal tender in Surat as being precisely the same weight and fineness as the Surat coinage. Forwarding a draft of the proclamation to be entered on record at the Presidency.

22^nd September 1807 [33]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master at Surat (T. White) to Government, dated 18^th September 1807.

I have been alone prevented from replying to Mr Secretary Warden’s letter of the 16^th August last until now, by the procrastination of the late Bhurtiahs in coming to an adjustment with me, and it was only the day before my departure from Surat they delivered in the accompanying Kurrarnamas written in the Persian and Guzeraty languages, by which your Honble Board will observe, they consent only to make the short trial of 3 months of the terms offered to them as conveyed in Mr Warden’s above mentioned letter, a circumstance that perhaps sufficiently demonstrates the reluctance with which they enter on the undertaking.

I have only respectfully to add that Mr Wren my predecessor has kindly undertaken to officiate for me during my absence here.

Translate of an agreement executed by Tapeedass and Kuleeandas to Thomas White Esq., Mint Master at Surat, dated 17^th September 1807.

We Tapeedass and Kuleeandas do hereby agree in consequence of the receipt of orders from Government with regard to the Mint, assigning one half per cent as a remuneration to us and to cover all losses which we [acquiesce] in, on the coinage for three months from this date to the conclusion of the third month as an experiment, after which if we find it answers, we will continue the business, or otherwise we will relinquish it with pleasure should it not turn out well.

Ordered that the Mint Master be informed that in consideration to their having been so long employed in the department, Government agree to commit the coinage at Surat to the two head Burtheas above mentioned on the terms of the order dated the 16^th of August – on condition the parties giving one month’s notice whenever it may be their desire to relinquish the undertaking to enable Government to provide other contractors, which there will be no difficulty found in providing, as soon as the present parties shall feel disposed to relinquish [to] the change.

9^th October 1807 [34]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master (Watkins) to Government, dated 8^th October 1807.

The mint contractor was able to deposit 50,000 rupees as security but could not find 1 Lac of rupees, the amount proposed by Government. He could probably get sponsorship from wealthy natives, but in the past this practice had led to problems, including fraud. The Mint Master suggested that the contractor should try to find a European business to act as surety but in the meantime the Rs 50,000 should suffice.

Letter from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat, dated 30^th September 1807.

The proclamation had been issued as instructed:

This is to give notice that in all the money transactions of this city [and other] dependencies, the tender of Bombay and of Surat rupees is to be considered equally lawful and good as the coinage is precisely of the same weight and fineness.

13^th October 1807 [35]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat to Government, dated 17^th September 1807.

He asked permission for Narrondass Tulsidass to export copper and lead from Bombay to Surat to be used to produce pice in the Surat Mint.

20^th October 1807 [36]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (Wren) to Government dated 13^th October 1807.

He stated that he had successfully got the Surat mint operational with people bringing bullion in for coinage.

2^nd December 1809 [37]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (White) to Government, dated 18^th November 1809.

He had conducted assays of Broach rupees and found them even worse than Bombay had. He asked for new furnaces, to conduct better assays, to be sent. He had received 30,000 Broach rupees for conversion to Surat rupees.

8^th December 1809 [38]. Bombay Consultations.

Minute

Resolved that Mr John Morison be appointed to succeed Mr Thomas White in the office of Mint Master at Surat from the 1^st of the ensuing month of January.

4^th April 1810 [39]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (Morison) to Government, dated 23^rd March 1810.

In reply to your letter of the 23^rd ultimo with the extracts from the report of the Committee of the Military Board, I have only to notice what I stated in my letter of the 19^th of last month, that the mint premises are in a most ruinous and insecure state. Should the Honble the Governor in Council be pleased to order me to superintend the rebuilding of them, I shall be careful that no unnecessary expense is incurred.

As to the sheds which Mr White reported to the Military Board as usually repaired by the mint contractors and those who occupy the zerrab Khaneh or places for making the rupees and pice in the rough state, I beg to remark that this may still be continued though the persons in question declare that their present income from the mint is trifling compared to what it amounted to during the Government of the Nawab when their conditions were imposed upon them.

When the premises are rebuilt I shall endeavour to keep them in repair at the allowance of 60 rupees annually which the Military Board have recommended, should the Governor prefer that system to allowing contingent charges, as hitherto, which the Board have recommended upon as being very moderate.

The Mint Master was allowed to make the repairs.

29^th January 1811 [40]. Bombay Consultations.

From the Judge & Magistrate at Surat to Government, dated 24^th January 1811.

I have the honor to report for the information of the Governor in Council that I have apprehended two persons for having about them and attempting to circulate, counterfeit rupees in imitation of the Surat, Broach, Baroda and Bombay currency. They are so well manufactured that shroffs have at first [been] deceived by them and, as a certain quantity have no doubt been sent to Bombay, I hasten to communicate the circumstance that immediate steps may be taken to obviate the mischiefs likely to result from this fraud upon the public, and the persons importing and assisting in the circulation of then be brought to condign punishment.

Accompanying I have the honor to send a specimen of the counterfeit Bombay rupee

8^th October 1811 [41]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (Mr Morison) to Government dated 25^th September 1811.

I beg to notice that the set of furnaces alluded to in Mr Secretary Godwin’s letter of the 30^th November 1809 have not yet been received but as they will now be particularly required in coining the large supply of bullion expected from the Presidency, I request that they be sent up by the first opportunity.

23^rd September 1812 [42]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge & Magistrate at Surat to Government, dated 8^th September 1812.

The city and zillah of Surat being in great want of pice, I am under the necessity of troubling Government again on this subject, and beg leave to propose that about 20,000 rupees worth be coined at once; it will be a source of some revenue to Government through the mint, and a good way of appropriating some of the Europe metals.

The above may appear a large quantity at first view, but I am convinced in my own mind, that if double the quantity were coined, it would be disposed of in a week, and prove a great comfort and convenience to the lower orders of this community and the number of people who come daily into this city from the surrounding villages.

As the inhabitants of this, as well as the neighbouring districts are under some apprehension of a famine, from the failure of rain this season, it would be as well in my humble opinion to relieve them as far as lies in the power of Government, from every other cause of distress.

The complaints about the wants of pice are loud and general and as they are so easily remedied, I trust the Right Honble the Governor in Council will be graciously pleased to afford us the means of coining the quantity above proposed, or his sanction to it being coined in the mint of this place by people possessing the requisite metals.

Ordered that the Import Warehousekeeper be directed to consign forthwith to the Mint Master at Surat, a supply of copper for the purpose of being coined into pice.

The Warehousekeeper is to communicate with the Mint Master of Bombay on this subject and be guided by his opinion in respect to the quantity and quality of the copper to be sent.

7^th October 1812 [43]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master at Surat (Morison) to Government, dated 25^th September 1812.

I was this morning honored with your letter of the 19^th respecting the coinage of pice and request that you will obtain permission from the Right Honble the Governor in Council to order about 375 maunds of lead also to be consigned to me, as the Surat pice have latterly been composed of 25 seers of copper and 15 of lead per maund.

I have now 43 maunds of copper remaining of the consignment made by Government in October last, so that I shall yet require about 582 maunds to complete a coinage of pice to the extent of 20,000 rupees.

Ordered that the Import warehousekeeper be directed to consign to the Mint Master at Surat, the quantity of lead which he has applied for.

Ordered also that Mr Morison be called upon to report the amount of the profit likely to be derived by the Honble Company from the intended coinage of pice.

28^th October 1812 [44]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master at Surat (John Morison) to Government, dated 13^th October 1812.

In reply to the 2^nd paragraph of your letter of the 3^rd instant, I request you will inform the Right Honorable the Governor in Council, that if the prices of copper and lead should not exceed the last consignment, the profit to the Honble Council will be about Rs 850 on a coinage of 20,000 Rs worth of pice.

It has always been usual to regulate the proportions of copper and lead in the pice so that Government may be neither gainers nor losers by the concern and consequently the present profit is derived from the mint duties.

3^rd March 1813 [45]. Bombay Consultations.

Minute

Ordered that the Mint Master of Surat be called upon to lay before us a return of the amount in different coins which has been coined at the mint of that station during the last year of account, and what description of bullion remains at the mint for coinage.

24^th March 1813 [46]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master to Government, dated 9^th March 1813.

In compliance with the directions contained in your letter of the 2^nd instant, I have now the honor to forward a statement of the coinage in this mint for the present year of account, and a memorandum of copper remaining to be coined but which is delayed for the want of lead.

I take the liberty of noticing that I have not yet received the copper and lead alluded to in your letters of the 19^th of September and 3^rd October last.

Statement of Bullion and Copper Coin in the Surat Mint from the 1^st May 1812 to the 28^th February last.

	Tolas. M. S.	Mohurs Annas
Gold	249.10.7	272 10

		Rupees Qrs.
Silver	38641.8.2	40462 2

	Maunds Qr. Srs.	Maunds Qr. Srs.
Copper	288.-.7¼	288.-.7¼

There is a balance of 43 maunds of copper belonging to the Honble Company remaining of the consignment made by Government in October 1811 for the coinage of pice. This copper remains for want of lead as noticed in my letter to Government of the 25^th September last.

Ordered that Mr Morison be informed that the copper and lead he had applied for has been ordered to be shipped immediately.

19^th May 1813 [47]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Surat Mint Master to Government, dated 4^th May 1813.

In reply to your letter of the 21^st ultimo which I received yesterday, I request you will do me the favour to inform the Right Honble the Governor in Council that I have particularly questioned the mint contractors as to the difference in the intrinsic value of the Bombay and Surat silver rupee pointed out by Mr Noton in his report to Government of the 21^st of last month but they persist in declaring that all rupees coined by them have been of the full standard prescribed by Government.

I have been very particular in the examination of the assays made in this mint, and am consequently at a loss to account for the present difference unless it arises from the superior means possessed at Bombay of effecting the assays, which was particularly alluded to by the late Mint Master in a report to Government in November 1809, from which I enclose an extract.

I have however again warned the contractors that they will be held responsible for any difference in future in the two rupees which, according to the orders of Government, ought to be exactly the same.

Extract of a letter from Thomas White Esq. Late Mint Master to Government, dated 19^th November 1809.

It has however long been a source of vexation to this mint that its assays cannot be made as they are at Bombay, by the furnaces in use there and I have little doubt but that they would be not only more upon an equality but much more accurate if Government will be pleased to direct the transmission of a set of furnaces to this place and at the same time send proper persons to instruct those of this mint in the manner of using them.

Ordered that the Mint Master at Surat be directed to keep up the standard of the Surat rupees to its established value.

7^th July 1813 [48]. Bombay Consultations.

Proclamation issued 1^st July 1813.

Notice is hereby given that the coinage of the Bombay and Surat mints being in all respects of the same standard and purity, and received as such in all the public treasuries at the Presidency and subordinates, the payments from those treasuries will be regulated on the same principle.

Ordered that a copy of the preceding proclamation be sent to the Collector for the purpose of being promulgated through the city of Surat.

7^th July 1813 [49]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (Morison) to Government, dated 28^th June 1813.

In reference to your letter of the 11^th instant, I have the honor to note that the method of computation as reported in my letter to the Accountant of the 20^th October last, is exactly the same as in the Bombay Mint where (as appears by the enclosed copy of a letter from Mr Watkins) 100 tolas of pure silver return, deducting the mint duties of 3 per cent, rupees 104 – 3 – 04.

Should any alterations however in the return of silver have taken place (of which I am not aware) in the Bombay mint since 1809, I request you will be good enough to furnish me with the particulars when I will make a corresponding arrangement with the contractors here, so that the outturn may be exactly the same in both mints.

Letter from Thomas White Esq. (but signed Watkins), dated 18^th May 1809.

The returns from this mint for 100 tolas of pure or sycee silver (which as containing no alloy would be received at the rate of 108 per tola) would be, deducting the mint duties on coinage of three per cent, rupees 104 – 3 – 04.

This was all sent to the Acting Mint Master at Bombay for his comments.

4^th May 1814 [50]. Bombay Consultations.

Petition from Jagonath Nillutset to Government, not dated.

Permit me to lay my head under your Honor’s pious feet and respect to crave leave that my appointment in the profession of an assayer at Surat take place in the year 1801, June the 27^th by order of the Government, which promotion may appear at large by the records of the Government, and it fully proves of an detailed instruction or order to me from the secretary Mr R. Richards as following viz.

He then cites a letter signed by Mr Rickards appointing him as an assayer.

He then cites another from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat appointing him to the same post.

He then goes on to state that the current Surat rupees coined when Mr Morrison was Mint Master (1811, 1812 & 1813) are not as good and cost more to produce.

This was forwarded to the Mint Master at Surat asking him to explain the differences.

4^th June 1814 [51]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Accountant General to Government, dated 15^th December 1810.

He considered that the Broach rupee should be converted into Surat or Bombay rupees.

Letter from the Collector at Surat to the Accountant General, dated November 16^th 1810.

Stated that he had started converting Broach rupees into Surat rupees.

29^th June 1814 [52]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Surat Mint Master (John Morrison) to Government, dated 18^th June 1814.

Have the honor by the receipt of your letter of the 30^th April referring for my report the copy of a letter from Jugginath Nitulsett and desiring me to explain the circumstances which have occasioned the difference in the present coinage of Surat from that which was coined while Mr Brown held the office of Mint Master and also the occasion of the increase in the expenses of coinage as stated by the party.

I request you will do me the favour to inform the Right Honorable the Governor in Council that the difference in the coinage and the rate of expenses were ordered by the Government in a letter to this office of the 7^th August 1807, after a long previous correspondence with the Mint Master here and the Mint and Assay Masters at the Presidency and of which Mr Brown must have, I fancy, a perfect recollection as I believe he at that time acted as Mint Master for Mr Wren who was absent on other duties at Broach.

By that letter the custom which had up to that time prevailed, of only using a lead alloy was abolished, and the rupees of both the Bombay and Surat mints were ordered to be exactly the same and to contain an alloy of half copper and half lead, which has ever since been the case.

It was by the same letter ordered that the expense of minting should be rupees 14.1.86½ or rupees 1.1.78 per cent, while the personal allowance to the contractors was fixed at Rs 5.2.13½ per 1,000 so as to make the deductions equal to 2 p cent. The charges of every kind on the coinage of 1,000 rupees stood and still continue as follows:

Expenses of mintage 14.1.86½

Allowance to the contractors for personal

Labour and responsibility 5.2.13½

Government duties at 1 per cent 10

------------

30. - . –

whereas Juggunath Netulsett wished to lead Government to believe that they are only Rs 26.1.25.

As to the assertions of Juggunath Netulsett that the rupees at present coined in this mint appear to be of a very inferior kind, I can only say that specimens of them are regularly forwarded every month to the Assay Master at Bombay from whose report it would appear that they are kept up to the standard of purity prescribed by Government.

Ordered that a copy of the preceding letter be sent to the mint master with direction to report the comparison which the changes incurred at the Surat Mint would bear to the expense attending the coinage at the Presidency, supposing that the late lowest offer for a contract on which the Mint Committee has lately delivered in their report, should be accepted.

10^th August 1814 [53]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master (R. Steuart) to Government, dated 6^th July 1814.

He calculates the outturn from 100 tolas of silver at the Bombay and Surat Mints using the criteria specified in the Surat Mint Master’s letter above. The result is very slightly in favour of Bombay.

11^th October 1815 [54]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Master (R. Steuart) to Government, dated 11^th October 1815.

The Mint Master saw three benefits in shutting the mint at Surat:

1. That it is under no efficient control from the want of am European gentleman on the spot duly qualified to conduct the department of assay.

2. That it enables the Surat shroffs to establish a fraudulent exchange by making a distinction between the Bombay & Surat rupee to the disadvantage of the former.

3. That it deprives this mint [i.e. Bombay] of profit that would otherwise accrue to it, and which would enable Government without incurring a greater expense, to put the mint here on a more respectable and efficient footing.

The Governor in Council agreed with this and ordered that the Surat Mint should be abolished from the 1^st November 1815, and ordered that the following advertisement should be issued:

The Right Honorable the Governor in Council is pleased to announce for general information that the mint at Surat will be abolished from the 1^st of the ensuing month of November and that the whole of the coinage under this Presidency will in future be conducted at the mint at Bombay.

20^th December 1815 [55]. Bombay Consultations.

Petition from the shroffs merchants & other inhabitants of Surat, dated 15^th November 1815.

This set out the reasons why the mint should not be closed.

31^st December 1815 [56]. Bombay Consultations.

Translation of a letter from the Nawab of Surat to Government, dated 9^th December 1815.

This set out the reasons for not closing the mint at Surat.

1815 [57] (1^st February 1832?). Bombay Consultations.

Letters from the Collector at Surat to Government, dated 13^th January 1815, 18^th January 1815 and 31^st January 1815.

50,000, 25,000 and 60,000 Broach rupees were converted to Surat rupees at the rate of 100.3 Broach rupees for 100 Surat.

15^th March 1815 [58]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Collector at Surat to Government, dated 14^th February 1815.

56,000 Broach rupees were converted to Surat rupees at the rate of 100.3 Broach to 100 Surat.

1^st January 1816 [59]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Government to the shroffs, merchants and other inhabitants of the city of Surat, dated 1^st January 1816.

I have had the honor of submitting to the Right Honble the Governor in Council your petition dated the 15^th of November last, setting forth the inconveniences you are likely to suffer from the abolition of the mint at Surat and soliciting upon the grounds therein adduced that it may be re-established.

You will no doubt readily believe that his excellency would at all time feel pleased in consulting the interests and paying attention to the wishes of so respectable a body as the commercial community of Surat, but you must also be aware that a due regard for the interests of the Honble Company must render it the public duty of his excellency to discontinue any office the objects of which can be more beneficially accomplished thro different channels, and you cannot therefore be surprised to learn that the Right Honble the Governor in Council does not consider himself at liberty to comply with your application, particularly as in all cases wherein recoinage may be necessary, recourse may be had to the Presidency, the mint of which is equally to the coinage of all the bullion necessary for the supply of this side of India.

23^rd January 1816 [60]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from Government to the Nabob of Surat, dated 6^th January 1816.

I have had the satisfaction of receiving your excellency’s letter dated the 7^th Mohumun, setting forth the inconveniences which the inhabitants of Surat are likely to suffer from the abolition of the mint and soliciting upon the general grounds therein adduced that it may be re-established.

Your excellency may be assured that it will at all times prove a matter of concern to me to be compelled to adopt any arrangement, the tendency of which may, in your Excellency’s opinion, prove injurious to the commercial interests of Surat, but you must also be aware that my public duty requires of me, whenever I may feel satisfied that your excellency’s impressions are erroneous, to pursue that course which in my judgement may be most conducive to the interests of the Honble Company.

Although the British Government does not control the mints of foreign sovereigns, its powers certainly extend over its own, and [as] two mints are not considered necessary for the supply of the circulating medium throughout the Honble Company’s territories on this side of India, especially when attended with the maintenance of two establishments. Measures are now in contemplation for establishing a general coinage of a superior description over all the Honble Company’s territories in India, and the abolition of the mint of Surat has been only a preliminary step towards the execution of this grand design. Under the present explanation your Excellency can scarcely feel suprize at learning that I cannot take upon myself to recommend to my colleagues a measure which has not been decided upon without the most mature deliberation.

24^th June 1818 [61]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge and Magistrate at Surat to Government, dated 9^th June 1818.

He encloses a petition (dated 9^th June 1818) from the small money changes asking for more copper coins.

This is referred to the Mint Committee asking how they might address the issue.

22^nd July 1818 [62]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter to the Judge and Magistrate at Surat from Government, dated 21^st July 1818.

Ordered Mr Romer be informed that it has for some time past been in contemplation to introduce an improved uniform copper currency throughout the territories subordinate to this Government, a circumstance which has led to his application of the 2^nd April and 9^th ultimo not receiving that early reply which they otherwise would have done. That the preparatory steps for giving effect to this measure are not yet contemplated, and as the new coinage cannot be circulated for several months, the Governor in Council authorizes him in conjunction with the Collector to cause such a supply of copper pice of the description now circulated at Surat to be coined as may afford the required relief. It is probable that the old currency is hoarded up by the moneychangers and this measure may therefore be attended with the same good effect as followed similar measures lately adopted by Mr Dunlop at Ahmedabad and may limit the extent of new coinage to be issued by Mr Romer within an inconsiderable amount and such as may prove no inconvenience when the new and uniform coin is issued.

Mr Romer is to be careful to regulate the weight of the pice so as to guard against the coinage being disposed of for its value as copper.

7^th October 1818 [63]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Commissioner at Poona to Government dated 27^th September 1818.

I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Mr Secretary Newnham’s letter of the 21^st instant communication the intention of the Right Honorable the Governor to send forthwith to the Collector of Surat three lacs of Dollars, to be held at the disposal of the political agent in Candeish.

I have directed Captain Briggs in communication with Mr Morrison, to make arrangements for transporting the treasure to Surat and to assist him in the operation of recoining it into Chandory rupees. I should feel obliged if the Right Honorable the Governor would order me to be furnished with an assay of the Dollars to be sent, and any other information that may be deemed useful in the process they are to undergo. In case it should be desirable to dispose of the dollars, it would be acceptable to know the rate they would sell for at Surat and their cost to Government.

13^th June 1821 [64]. Bombay Consultations.

Petition from the shroffs and merchants of Surat, dated 24^th April 1821.

The petition states that the scarcity of rupees is causing problems and there is a request that the mint should be re-opened.

This was referred to the Mint Committee.

28^th January 1824 [65]. Letter from J Farish (Secretary to Government) to the Accountant General dated 2^nd January 1824.

I am directed by the Honble the Governor in Council to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a letter from the Criminal Judge at Surat dated the 7^th instant and to desire your opinion whether the surplus pice coined for the Southern Concan adverted to in your letter dated the 10^th November last, might not with advantage be rendered available to supply the want of copper currency at Surat.

18^th February 1824 [66]. Letter from the Accountant General to Government dated 5^th February 1824.

I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 22^nd ultimo transmitting to me the copy of one from the Judge at Surat dated the 7^th ultimo, and desiring my opinion whether the surplus pice coined for the Concan, adverted to in my letter dated the 10^th November last, might not with advantage be rendered available to supply the want of copper currency at Surat.

In reply, I request you will have the goodness to state to the Honble the Governor in Council that although there may be some little demur at first on the part of the population of Surat to receive only 64 pice for a rupee, the rate of those in the Southern Concan, after being used to the exchange of eighty, yet as the surplus is entirely useless where it is, and as it may be fairly presumed that the Concan pice are intrinsically better than the Surat pice, I see no objection to a consignment to the amount of ten thousand rupees being made experimentally, by the Collector of the former to the Collector of the latter district.

Their issue should not however, I conceive, be compulsory but optional, the Collectors both of land revenue and Sea Customs, merely engaging by proclamation, to receive them back at the rate of sixty four to a rupee in all revenue transactions, and the success or failure of the measure would probably also give us some further insight into the real nature and extent of the wants of the community.

12th February 1824. Letter from Government to the Judge at Surat.

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7^th ultimo and am directed to inform you that, there being a surplus quantity of copper pice in the Southern Concan, the Collector of that zillah has been instructed to forward a consignment to the Collector of Surat to the amount of rupees ten thousand to supply the deficiency in the latter district.

The Governor in Council directs me to observe that the Concan pice are intrinsically better then those of Surat, the Collectors of land revenue and of sea customs will therefore be instructed to issue them at the rate of sixty four pice the rupee, and to engage by proclamation to receive them back at the same rate in all revenue transactions. The issue of these pice is not however to be compulsory, but it will be optional with individuals to receive them or not.

It may be expected that the success or failure of this measure will afford some further insight into the real nature and extent of the wants of the community.

7^th April 1824 [67]. Substance of a petition from Muncharam Nahana Lall on behalf of the moneychangers of Surat to the Honourable Mountstuart Elphinstone, Governor in Council, dated 5t^hMarch 1824.

Mr Agar, Custom Master of Surat, agreeable to an order from Government, issued a proclamation on 20^th February to the effect that, if the ryots of this quarter would agree, the pice of the Concan should be made current at Surat, and that the Surat rupee should be valued in exchange at 64 Concan pice. We beg leave to represent to your Honble Board, that we your petitioners have now in hand pice to the amount of 5 lacs of rupees of Surat coinage, and we request your directions how to act in respect of this pice. The proclamation further states that should the ryots come to an agreement on this subject, Government will cause Concan pice to the value of 10,000 rupees to be circulated in Surat.

We beg leave to represent to your Honourable Board that 10,000 rupees worth of pice will not suffice for the circulation and exchange of a single day, for the Surat pice is at present current to a distance of 20 Koss around the city of Surat. But pice to the value of 5 lacs of rupees, if circulated, may be sufficient for the purposes of the ryots.

When Mr Crow was judge of Surat, a man by name Nulab Sunkar was allowed by Government to coin new pice, which pice are now rejected by everyone, and disturbances have arisen concerning them, and no one ventured to put them up for sale in their shops.

When a dispute arose sometime back, at Broach, concerning the pice of that place, Mr Prendergast ordered the pice of Broach to be stamped with the mark of the Sirkar, and from that time all disturbances concerning them ceased, and they were received as current.

We, your petitioners, are therefore hopeful that you will be pleased to issue a similar order with regard to the new and old pice of Surat, as was formerly issued with regard to the pice of Broach.

7^th April 1824. Letter from Government to the Mint Committee.

They refer the above petition to the Mint Committee.

11^th April 1824 [68]. Letter from the Collector of Surat to Government dated 29^th March 1824.

I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 12^th February and to state for the information of the Honble the Governor in Council that I have since received copper currency from the Collector of the Southern Concan, to the estimated value of ten thousand rupees.

I have consulted the dealers in copper change, and they intimate they are not disposed to receive the copper pice. I am also informed they have transmitted a representation to Government on the subject, copy of which I have the honor to annex and in which they submit their reasons for declining the pice.

He then makes several more comments and adds a table of the different types of pice in circulation in Surat.

12^th May 1824 [69]. Letter from the Mint Committee to Government dated 18t^hApril 1824.

Acknowledges receipt of the letter dated 7^th April and one of the 12^th April and continues:

…that after a deliberate review of all the circumstances of the case, we are of the opinion that the native community of Surat cannot be in such great want of an addition to their copper currency as the money changers would wish us to believe and that it seems pretty plain that the object of the latter, in wishing to obtain the Government stamp on the pice in their possession, is to force a spurious coinage on the public at a rate above its marketable value.

That the copper circulation of Surat stands in need of a reform in common with that of every subordinate district, we do not in the least doubt, but conceive it would be idle, with the prospect of our efficient mint before us, to make the attempt with our present means, nor do we think it would tend to any good end, to allow of any further coinages of copper being undertaken, under the sanction of Government, as a private speculation.

We incline therefore to recommend, that the copper currency of Surat be left for the present as it is, that is, the old pice passing as heretofore, at their marketable value, and the circulation of the new (Concan) pice being under the proclamation which we presume has been issued, entirely optional, which will afford at least some sort of security to the lower classes against a worse currency being imposed on them, until we shall be able to supply them with an entire new coinage which cannot be imitated without machinery.

6^th May 1824. From Government to the Collector of Surat.

Essentially redirects the comments of the Mint Committee to him.

15^th March 1826 [70]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge at Surat to Government, dated 7^th March 1826.

I have the honor to state for the information of the Honble the Governor in Council that a petition has been presented to me by the thread sellers of this city, setting forth the public inconvenience which exists from a diminution in the quantity of copper coin required for the circulation of this place and praying that some measure may be adopted for their relief.

In submitting this request for the consideration of the Honble the Governor in Council, I have to observe that the scarcity of copper coin and the inconvenience thence resulting not only to the petitioners but to the whole of the inhabitants, I believe to be real. Many years have passed since a supply of pice has been afforded to the city. In 1824 the scarcity which was then complained of was brought to the notice of Government by Mr Anderson in his letter of 7^th January, and a quantity to the amount of ten thousand rupees was sent up by the Collector of the South Konkan, but as they were to be issued at the rate of sixty four pice for the rupee, this aid proved ineffectual as the inhabitants would not receive them at that rate. The last issue of pice previous to that was in December 1818 when they were coined at this place to the extent of ten thousand rupees, and if in 1824 the scarcity of pice was so greatly felt, there must be good reason to suppose that the inconvenience now asserted to be experienced is not suppositious; it has indeed been brought to my notice in different ways.

With a view to a remedy I take the liberty most respectfully to recommend that the Collector be permitted to coin and to issue a quantity sufficient to meet the wants of the people, which from what I can learn on the subject, will not be effected with less then to the value of twenty thousand rupees, which sum I give as the very least, and conceive that to the value of twenty five thousand would be desirable. I beg leave to be permitted to add that by the fixed rate of the place, eighty copper pice are given in change for a Surat rupee and the metal to be coined should therefore be alloyed to a standard which will afford no temptation to deal in the coinage for its value as copper. The profit to be derived by Government upon this coinage may be calculated at about rupees nine hundred.

12^th April 1826 [71]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Committee to Government dated 27^th March 1826.

We have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 11^th instant referring to us the copies of the letters from the first Assistant in charge of the Broach Collectorship dated the 1^st instant with enclosure, and from the Judge at Surat of the 7^th instant, representing the want of copper pice at those stations and desiring our opinion on the resources that should be adopted in consequence.

With regard to those at Surat, we are rather more of a loss, as we can conceive of no good reason why, if the wants there be equally bona fide, the same measure that has succeeded at Broach should not also answer at Surat. For, although there be a difference of nearly six per cent in the intrinsic values of the two rupees, they pass currently at par we believe in most of the Surat district and even in the Surat bazar.

The objections of the inhabitants to receiving the South Concan pice, at the rate of sixty four for a rupee, may perhaps be surmounted by a proclamation declaring these particular pice a legal tender at that rate in all private, as they are already in all public, transactions, without however adopting any active measures for forcing them into circulation, and this is the course we incline to recommend. And if it be deemed advisable, a further supply to the extent of rupees ten thousand might be ordered from the Southern Concan.

To allow a coinage of copper pice to be undertaken at Surat, on the principal laid down in the concluding paragraph of Mr Jones’ letter, would we conceive, be merely adding so much more to the impure trash, under various designations, with which, from the correspondence that occurred on the same subject about two years ago, it would appear the Surat copper currency was already vitiated, and the disposal of which will be a vary serious concern when the new uniform currency is to be introduced, though if still pressed as the only remedy for existing embarrassments, we have no other objection to the experiment being tried.

Proclamation declaring pice current at Surat dated 11^th April 1826

The Governor in Council having in consequence of the want of copper pice in Surat caused a supply of pice, coined at the rate of 64 for a rupee, to be sent to the Collector for the purpose of being issued by him to all persons requiring copper coins in exchange for silver.

The said pice are hereby declared to be a legal tender payment at the rate of 64 pice for one rupee and they are to be received accordingly by all officers of Government and by individuals.

Letter to the Judge at Surat from Government dated 11^th April 1826.

I am instructed by the Honble the Governor in Council to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 7^th ultimo and to inform you that the Collector in the South Concan has been instructed to consign to the Collector at Surat, copper pice to the value of ten thousand rupees.

These pice having been received into circulation at Broach without difficulty, the Honble the Governor in Council cannot understand why, if the wants of the people of Surat are equally bona fide, the same measure which has succeeded at the former place should not answer at the latter, the rupees of the two places being understood to pass currently at par in most of the Surat Purgannahs and even in the Surat Bazar.

The objection of the Surat inhabitants to receiving the South Concan pice at the rate of sixty four for a rupee may probably be surmounted by the accompanying proclamation, which you will be pleased to make public at Surat, [making] these particular pice a legal tender at that rate in all private, as they are already in all public, transactions, without however adopting any active measures for forcing them into circulation.

The intended introduction of a new uniform currency from the new mint renders it inexpedient to undertake a new coinage of pice at Surat at the present time if it can be avoided.

Letter to the Collector at Surat from Government dated 11^th April 1826

I am directed by the Honble the Governor in Council to transmit to you the accompanying copies of a letter from the Judge at Surat dated the 7^th ultimo and of my reply of this date and to inform you that the Collector in the South Concan has been directed to consign to you copper pice to the amount of ten thousand rupees which are to be issued at the rate of 64 the rupee to all who may require them according to the accompanying proclamation which the Judge has been directed to make public at Surat.

3^rd May 1826 [72]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Collector in the Southern Concan to Government, dated 2^nd May 1826.

In compliance with your instructions dated the 11^th ultimo, I have the honor to inform you that copper pice to the amount of rupees fifteen thousand, packed in 61 boxes have been dispatched from the Concan and are now in the harbour on board the hired putteman Dina Doulat.

As this vessel is not calculated for the Surat or Broach rivers, I request that instructions may be issued for transhipping this treasure and conveying it in other vessels.

56 boxes containing each Rs 250 Rs 14000

5 Boxes containing each Rs 200 Rs 1000

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Rs 15000

Letter to the Acting Sub-Treasurer from Government, dated 2^nd May 1826.

I am directed by the Honble the Governor in Council to inform you that 61 boxes containing copper pice to the amount of rupees 15,000 have been consigned from the Southern Concan and are now on board the Collector’s puttamar in the harbour. Of these, 20 boxes containing rupees 5000 worth are to be forwarded to the Collector of Broach and the remainder, amounting to rupees 10,000 to the Collector of Surat. You will accordingly be pleased to adopt the necessary measures for that purpose, applying to the superintendent of marine for the necessary vessels which he has been instructed to provide.

Letter to the Superintendent of Marine from Government, dated 2^nd May 1826.

I am directed by the Honble the Governor in Council to inform you that the Acting sub-Treasurer has been directed to consign 20 boxes of copper pice to Broach and 41 to Surat and to request you will provide the necessary vessels for their conveyance. The pice are at present on board a patamar in the harbour from which they must be transhipped.

18^th April 1827 [73]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge at Surat to Government, dated 29^th March 1827.

I request you will do me the honor to lay before the Honble the Governor in Council the enclosed copy of a translation of a petition presented to me yesterday by the shurafs of this city.

I have ascertained from the Collector that the whole of the pice received here in May last to the value of ten thousand rupees, have been disposed of and, believing the present scarcity stated in the petition to be real, I beg very respectfully to suggest that a further supply may be sent up, to the extent of about twenty thousand rupees, the whole of which will in all probability be distributed in a few months.

Translation of a petition to the Judge at Surat from Doolubh Narum and Munchharum Nahanalal on the part of the moneychangers.

We beg leave to represent to you that in the month of Shravun last we represented a petition to you; in answer to which you were pleased to direct us to purchase new pice from the Collector’s office and circulate them so as to prevent any future inconvenience arising in the city. We accordingly purchased the same and passed them. About a month and a half ago we, all the money changers, attended the Collector’s office for the purpose of purchasing some more pice, when the Collector was pleased to say he had no pice to be disposed of, recommending us to make an application to you, and adding that on your writing to him he would obtain a further supply of new pice and, as the demand is real, we are under the necessity of presenting this petition to you praying that you will be pleased to write a letter to the Collector requesting him to obtain a further supply of pice of the new currency, in order that no scarcity may prevail in the future.

Letter to the Mint Committee from Government, dated 12^th April 1827.

I am directed by the Honorable the Governor in Council to transmit to you the accompanying copies of a letter from the Judge at Surat dated the 29^th ultimo and of its enclosure and to request you will be pleased to make arrangements for supplying the pice required.

30^th January 1828 [74]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Judge at Surat to Government, dated 16^th January 1828.

In reference to my predecessor’s letter of the 29^th March last, I do myself the honor to submit for the early consideration of the Honorable the Governor in Council the accompanying copy and translation of a petition from the shuraffs of this city and to report that very great inconvenience is experienced, especially among the lower classes, from the present deficiency of copper currency.

To the Judge at Surat from Doolubh Narun and other inhabitants of Surat dated 9^th January 1929

We the undersigned shroffs beg leave to present that in consequence of the scarcity of pice, we presented to you a petition on the 30^th of Phagoon Sunnat 1883 corresponding with the 27^th March 1827 and further one on the 18^th May last; in answer to which we were informed that a reference had already been made and would again be made to Bombay on the subject of the deficiency of pice. Indeed sir, we experience great scarcity and inconvenience. The rate of pice procurable is 74 per rupee, whereas the peons demand 76; in consequence of which we retailers are in great distress. We therefore humbly pray that you will be pleased to procure us a supply of pice and to pass an order upon this petition that no one should demand more pice than the bazar rate and should not oppress us. We further beg to state for your information that during the ensuing wedding season the above rate of pice will become still more depreciated. [??] once favoured with a supply of pice the rate of which was 64 in the rupee not any of these pice are now to be had, and we request that a further supply of pice may be obtained for circulation.

This was forwarded to the Mint Committee on the 29^th January 1828.

20^th February 1828 [75]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Committee to Government, dated 6^th February 1828,

We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29^th ultimo and in reply beg leave to recommend that the Collector of Surat be authorized to undertake a copper coinage to such an extent as he may consider necessary to meet the demand, on the principals laid down in the Mint Committee’s report of the 12^th June 1821.

Letter to the Judge at Surat from Government, dated 14^th February 1828.

I am directed by the Honorable the Governor in Council to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 16^th ultimo with enclosure and to inform you that the Collector of Surat has been authorized to undertake a copper currency to such an extent as [he] may consider necessary to meet the demand, provided the parties undertaking it will agree to improve the manufacture of the pice.

Letter to the Collector of Surat from Government, dated 24^th February 1828.

I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6^th instant and to inform you that the Collector of Surat has been authorized to undertake a copper coinage to such an extent as he may consider necessary to meet the demands – on the principles laid down in your report of 12^th June 1821.

20^th April 1831 [76]. Bombay Consultations.

Report on the establishments throughout the Bombay Presidency.

Surat had an establishment of 7 natives on 1^st May 1830.

30^th November 1831 [77]. Bombay Consultations.

Petition from Vrizbhookhundass Nagurdass of Surat dated 28^th October 1831

A scarcity of copper pice having existed a few years ago in the zillah of Surat, I entered into a contract with Government, thro’ the Collector, to strike new coins of that metal, which I fulfilled satisfactorily under the superintendence of two of the Sirkar’s men. I have heard the Government now intends to abolish the present currency and to issue a new one. I take the liberty to represent that in this case about five thousand muns of fresh pice will be necessary, by which, I suppose, the Government will gain about 60,000 rupees, but if Government should take up the old pice of about nine thousand muns there will be a clear loss of nearly 90,000 rupees. If Government will enter into contract with me, I will engage to strike new coins of the same weight as are at present struck at the Presidency, and of the same stamp (sicca) as may be directed, receiving a fee of five per mun and I will also purchase the present coin at the rates which follow:-

Of copper pice alloyed with lead there are about 4,000 muns, in each seer weight there are 45 pice, each maund will fetch 22 rupees. In each maund of the pice (current at the rate of 82 junnadee per rupee) there are about 15 seers of lead and the rest is copper. Viz. 25 seers which will take at 14 rupees per maund.

There are nearly two thousand maunds of pure copper pice current in this city. In each seer weight there are about 60 pice, and they are at the rate of 80½ junnadee per rupee, for which I will pay at 29½ rupees per maund. If Government were to call these in for the melting pot they would fetch only 20 rupees per maund, a great loss to Government.

Of Bankote copper pice there are about five maunds in the city; a seer’s weight contains 60 pice and 64 go for a rupee. I will take each maund at 37 rupees, but if Government collect and melt them, they will produce but 20 rupees per maund.

Of Alamgeeree copper pice two and a half maunds nearly are current in the Purgunnah of Surat, which I value at about 28 rupees per maund, but a maund would fetch Government only 20 rupees.

At these rates I am ready to purchase by the favour of the Sirkar the old currency, and to undertake to strike a fresh coinage of pure copper under the superintendence of two appointed persons (to be paid by Government).

I trust therefore that instructions may soon be issued to the Principal Collector of Surat to enter with me into this contract, and Government may depend that I will honestly answer all questions he may put to me regarding this matter. I decline taking lead or brass coins. As I made the first tender for the contract, I hope, Right Honorable Sir, you will favour me by accepting my proposal first.

23^rd November, Mint Master suggest rejection

Resolved that the petition is declined.

29^th February 1832 [78]. Bombay Consultations.

From the Principal Collector at Surat to Government, dated 24^th December 1831.

He stated that the new ¼ annas had only been received on 23^rd November and had not yet been counted out. He provided a list of the relative values of the new coins compared with the old pice then in circulation.

9^th May 1832 [79]. Bombay Consultations.

Resolution dated 3^rd May 1832

Chotoo Mookaddum, Rajabhaye Tapidass and others of Surat, having presented a petition without date, praying that the mint at Surat be continued working, and they be employed in it as heretofore, resolved that they be informed that their request cannot be complied with.

19^th March 1835 [80]. Bombay Consultations.

Letter from the Mint Committee to Government, dated 19^th March 1835

We have the honor to acknowledge your letter dated the 12^th instant, advising us of orders having been issued to the Principal Collector of Surat to deface and sell the old South Concan pice which have accumulated in his treasury, amounting to rupees fourteen thousand, three hundred, and eighty two.

Then goes on to state that defacing would not be effective and that the coins should be cut up or melted.