Armagon Mint

Coins were issued from the Armagon Mint by:

 

Europeans

British – but no coins identified

 

History

The Armagon factory may have been the first English establishment in India to obtain the right to strike coins. In 1626 the local Naik agreed to strike pagodas and fanams in the British Factory for a charge of 1˝ per cent [1]. Later in the year Thomas Mills at Masulipatam reported that the Armagon factory had obtained the authority to coin gold fanams and pagodas and they had been promised a stamp [2]. In 1628 [3] President Kerridge reported receiving two gold coins from Armagon (though whether or not the English struck these is not clear) and in 1629 [4] they definitely seem to have got the dies they needed.

Unfortunately, the coins cannot be identified separately from others struck in the area.


[1] Foster W. (1909). The English Factories in India 1624-1629. Clarendon Press, Oxford, p128:

April 19th 1626 - Thomas Johnson and John Beverley at Armagon to the President and Council at Batavia – ‘Our rials of eight are in base esteem here and redound to loss, as 2 6/11 fanams lost upon every rial, according to our account keeping; the rial of eight worth no more than 12 fanams, which should yield 14 6/11; whereof to prevent such inconveniences, we advise your worships that, haply you meeting with gold from any subordinate factories, or from any other parts, to send us a good quantity; which will be the best means to help the loss of our rials; and the great Naico hath promised to stamp us both pagodas and fanams also in our own house, paying 1˝ per cent.

[2] Foster W. (1909). The English Factories in India 1624-1629. Clarendon Press, Oxford, p135:

June 3rd 1626 – Thomas Mills at Masulipatam to the President and Council at Batavia – They have authority at Armagon to coin gold ‘as fanams, which are of a very base metal, and pagodas also; for which purpose also he hath promised a stamp when we shall have occasion; which liberty in time may prove very beneficial to our honourable masters, and is used by the Dutch in Pallicatt’.

[3] Foster W. (1909). The English Factories in India 1624-1629. Clarendon Press, Oxford, p200:

4th January 1628 – President Kerridge et al at Surat to the Company – ‘…two gold coins of Armagon and twenty other specimens are transmitted herewith’.

[4] Foster W. (1909). The English Factories in India 1624-1629. Clarendon Press, Oxford, p341:

June 25th 1629 - Lawrence Henley and Nicholas Bix at Armagon to the President and Council at Bantam – ‘Gould well bought will yeld here good profitt; the rather if wee had a good quantity to minte into pagodes, we having the chopp or stampt now in this towne’.