Half
annas dated 1835 were issued firstly from the Madras
Mint in 1838, although there was some delay in preparing the dies and sending
them to
[1]
Bengal Consultations. IOR P/162/89, February 1838, No 28,
29
Letter from the Assay Master in charge
of the Madras Mint (W. Bannister) to the Madras Government
…I regret to be obliged again to state
that no half anna matrix dies have yet been received
from Bengal, and that I have been compelled to fabricate quarter anna pieces exclusively, notwithstanding that the half anna coins seem so urgently to be demanded by the public.
The business of preparing the matrix
dies required for this mint is only the work of a few hours, and under ordinary
circumstances could not occupy many days. In this view of the case I have been
at a loss to account for the extraordinary delay which has taken place in
transmitting them. In reflecting upon the probable cause of this delay it has
occurred to me that it was possible that the device for the half anna coin, to correspond with the present coinage, might
not yet have been determined upon, and if such be the case some little delay
would be necessary. This hypothesis however seems to be contradicted by the
communication from the Supreme Government dated 4th October 1837, in
which it is stated that the half anna dies had been
ordered to be sent, which seems hardly consistent with the idea of the device
not having been decided upon.
So long as there is any doubt upon
this point however, it would be most inexpedient to proceed with the melting of
copper, as the ingots when cast must be formed with a certain relation to the
coin. I have therefore under all circumstances, considered it advisable to suspend
the operation of the melting of copper until something certain shall be known
upon this subject. I regret this necessity very much, because hereafter it will
considerably diminish the outturn of the department, but I am unwilling to
involve the Government in an expense which circumstances may prove hereafter to
be useless.
It is much to be wished that some
positive information could be obtained respecting these dies, and that some
time could be fixed upon when this department may with certainty calculate upon
receiving them.
The delay has already involved this
Government in much needless expense in addition to the disappointment
occasioned to the public by having so few half anna
coins in circulation and, however unwilling to trouble the superior authorities
with further reference, I feel that I should still fail in my duty did I not
suggest for the consideration of the Right Honble the
Governor in Council whether another reference to the Government of India
respecting these dies may not be expedient.
[2]
Bengal Consultations. IOR P/162/89, March 1838, No 1,
2
Letter from the Calcutta Mint Master
to the Calcutta Mint Committee, dated
In reply to your letter dated 21st
ultimo forwarding a further reference through the Madras and the supreme Government,
from the Madras Assay Master on the subject of dies for the half anna copper coin, and calling upon me to account for the
delay that has occurred in their preparation.
I have now the honor
to offer the following explanation:
When the first order arrived, by some
misunderstanding it was supposed that the application was for half pice pieces,
the Madras pice (fabricated in Europe) having been divided into four parts in
lieu of three as prevails in our coinage. Some discussion took place as to the
possibility of executing such a commission, but in the meantime the dies were
under preparation when the second reference set us right as to the nature of
the want, a want which had been the less anticipated, as the half anna piece coined in Bengal had never obtained much
circulation, and none of the new stamp had been executed.
No die therefore of the description in
question was in store. There had been one cut for Bombay by Mr de Lacombe, but
it had, for the reverse, a balance with the word Adal
in Persian below, and “East India Company” on the margin, which words, being
omitted on the obverse or Company’s arms side, also unfitted that matrix (which
was also very badly executed) from being employed for the Madras coin, which
Government has determined to assimilate to that of Calcutta.
Two new dies were therefore put in
hand by the head engraver Kasinath and were finished
before the arrival of the present reference, but in lieu of being, as Mr
Bannister asserts, “the work of an hour or two”, anyone acquainted with the
business is aware that the making of a new matrix is the work of a month, and
the engraver had meantime to attend to the wants of our own mint, to the
Company’s paper engraved blocks etc. The taking of a punch from the first
matrix is a work of ten days and the reformation of a die therefrom, of as many
more. As soon as this process is completed, the dies and punches in duplicate
will be dispatched to Madras, and I trust the Committee will exonerate the
officers of the Calcutta mint from having made an unnecessary delay.
[3]
Bengal Consultations. IOR P/162/89, April 1838, No 12
& 13
Extract from a Letter from the Assay Master of the Madras
Mint dated
It will be observed from the preceding
observations, that no half anna matrix dies have as
yet arrived from Calcutta, and that nearly double the quantity of quarter anna coins have already been fabricated than was directed
by the orders of Government dated the 5th September last. The effect
of this delay is of very serious consequence, not only to the mint but to the
public. The difficulty in procuring sheet copper for coining in Madras arises
chiefly from this circumstance, that copper so thick
as that which is required in the mint is seldom used in this Presidency and is
therefore in small demand. The consequence is as might be expected that it is
not frequently brought to this market. In general the thicker the copper that
is required the greater is the difficulty in procuring it.
I have already reported to Government
that the copper now in the mint is of the thickness required for the half anna coins, and it has been very mortifying under all these
circumstances that both time and expense should be consumed in rolling down
this thick copper to form it into coins which are not wanted, whilst the coins
which are urgently required by the Government cannot be furnished, from the
want of four matrix dies.
Letter from the Calcutta Mint
Committee to Calcutta Government, dated
I am directed by the Mint Committee to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter to my address dated the 4th
instant calling for an explanation on the causes of the delay that has occurred
in supplying the matrix dies of the half anna piece
for the Madras mint. The Committee observe that the date of this fresh
reference from Madras is the 3rd ultimo when of course the
explanation of the Mint Master transmitted with my letter of the same date
could not have reached that Presidency.
The letter to which I allude stated
that the matrices were just completed and that the indent from Madras would be
supplied as soon as the punches should be struck off from them.
The sinking of these two matrix dies
under the multiplying press (an accident which too frequently happens with dies
of large diameter) prevented the immediate compliance with these expectations.
The engraver was obliged to take off a
couple of flat punches as well as he could from the sunken matrices, these had
to be hardened, fresh matrices to be struck from them and these to be
re-engraved and adjusted on account of the field having become concave. From
these renovated matrices, duly hardened, fresh punches have just been taken off
with success, from which again the matrix dies for the Madras mint have to be
prepared. But the punches themselves may be sent off to Madras to enable Dr
Bannister to set to work on making dies himself, while the matrices may follow
in ten days more from the present time. A detailed table of the time occupied
in these several operations is given in the margin whence it will be seen that
no unnecessary delay has occurred.
Date of last report that the matrices
were just ready – 1st March
Turning and hardening – 2 days
Multiplying punches (delaying from
sinking of the dies) – 10 days
Dressing punches – 8 days
Turning, Hardening & ringing – 3
days
Multiplying matrices from first
punches – 12 days
Turning, dressing, hardening &
ringing – 3 days
Taking second punches from second
matrices – 12 days
Number holidays from 1st
instant to 16th instant, eight days, Sunday seven
[4]
Bengal Consultations. IOR P/162/87, June 1836, No 38
Letter to Government from the Mint
Committee dated
…Puteet, the
engraver for whom the present application is made, has been bred up entirely
within the mint and since the reform of the department he has been stimulated
to cope with his rivals in the branch of this art hitherto new to him. He has
engraved the Company’s arms for the copper coin…