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Fort St David (Tegnapatam) Mint – Gold, Pagoda 1698

The Tegnapatam pagoda was introduced in 1698 but by 1700 it was clear that the local populace would not accept the coin and the coins began to be melted down and turned into ‘Madras’ pagodas. Minting appears to have been stopped in 1704.

A single standing deity with the legend around. TEVNAPATNAM The commencing ornament is the outline of the old Company's balemark.	Granulated

Actual Weight (g)

3.41

Actual Diameter (mm)

11.5

Composition

Gold

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
5.3	√ 511.	288	Bhandare	No sales traced. Only known example is in the BM.	RRR

Fort St David Mint – Copper, Ten Cash (Dudu) c1748 to c1754

Coins minted at Fort St. David during the French occupation of Madras.

Balemark with GCE within a decorative stroke border.	Date between wavy lines within a beaded circle.

	Dudu	Half Dudu
Official Weight (g)	8.85	4.42
Actual Weight (g)	7.85-8.75	4.10
Actual Diameter (mm)	15.2-18.2	12.8-13.4
Metal	Copper

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Denomination	Date	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
5.4	√ 512.	41	Dudu	1748	Ste, Noon		R
5.5	√ 513.	42		1750	RJ	Atk. 81 Date confirmed by Johnston	RR
5.6	√ 514.	43		1752	Ste	Atk. 82. Date confirmed	RR
5.7	√ 515c.	-	Half Dudu	1752	Craig Fernandez, RJ		RR

See also Madras mint dudus. Pridmore records a dudu dated 1753 (Pr 44) referencing a coin in the ANS collection (ANS 1919.999.129). The date is not clear and the weight (6.23) corresponds to the second issue dudu. It is probably 1755 (ref:R, Johnston).

Fort St David Mint – Copper, Cash – Type 1 – c1740

Pridmore attributes these cash coins to Fort St David on the grounds that:

1. The coins can be attributed to the EIC because of their inscription.
2. The cash coins issued at Madras have been identified, and these coins cannot therefore have been issued from Madras.
3. He found documentary evidence of cash being produced at Fort St David in 1740.

Tamil inscription (= Sri = Honourable), within a beaded border.		Tamil inscription = KUMPINI = Company. All within a plain square.

	Two Cash	Cash
Actual Weight (g)	2.46-2.60	1.12-1.72
Actual Diameter (mm)	10.0-12.5	8.9-10.5
Composition	Copper
Edge	Plain
Axes		↑↓

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Denomination	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
5.8	√ 516.	-	Two Cash	RJ, HC	Reported by Bob Johnston	RR
5.9	√ 516c.	289	Cash	Ste, Weir, Noon, HC		R

Fort St David Mint- Copper, Cash – Type 2 – c1741

These coins are attributed to the Fort St David mint on the basis of the reverse inscription, which is the same as that on the previous type.

An eight pointed star within a beaded border.	Tamil inscription that translates as KUMPINI (= Company) within a plain square

Actual Weight (g)

0.95-1.39

Actual Diameter (mm)

8.7-9.5

Composition

Copper

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
5.10	√ 517.	290	Ste, RJ, Noon		R

Fort St David Mint – Copper, Cash – Type 3 – c1748 to c1752

Coins minted at Fort St. David during the French occupation of Madras. (See comments about dudus in the section on early Coinages of the Madras Mint).

A heart shaped shield with a 4 on top. Triply divided. In each third is a letter E I C. A wavy line above. All within a beaded border?	Date within a dotted circle. All within a beaded border.

Official Weight (g)

1.20

Actual Weight (g)

1.18-1.39

Actual Diameter (mm)

7.4-10.1

Composition

Copper

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr No.	Date	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
5.11	√ 518.	103	1748	HC, RJ, Noon		RR
5.12	√ 518c.	-	1750	RJ	Reported by Bob Johnston	RRR
5.13	√ 519.	104	1752	Ste, Noon		RR

See also Madras mint cash