Earlier silver rupees seem to get no love. Post a rupee?

Weiss

This piece from Jaipur in Rajasthan is a special kind of rupee called a Nazarana. As I understand it, these rupees were specially minted and then purchased to present to a ruler for granting an audience. I'd love to hear more about these pieces if there is an expert out there.

I was fortunate to buy this piece raw out of a huge collection of crowns 3 years ago next week. The dealer wasn't terribly interested, and I had no idea what it was at the time. But I thought it looked beautiful and gladly paid his $20 price.

After researching, I sent it ATS and was happy it came back mint state:

I never pass up the more traditional smaller, thicker rupees when I can find them locally and inexpensively.

Got some rupees you want to share?

WorldCoinsDmitry

Wish I was more fluent in the thick rupees. They are cool coins, but I've always had a hard time figuring most of them out. Here's a throwback that was a little more recognizable. Plus I figured I'll never see another like it again.

Bindraban, India 1/4 rupee 1858, 59 or 67. Exact date not visible due to the double strike.

OGDan

Here are a couple that appear to have traveled to China at some point. I also struggle to figure them out when I get them. The marks could be Chinese chopmarks, or possibly something else, since they don't look like the Chinese characters one normally would see on coins from this era.

.
1766 United East India Company, Java

1822 Princely States, Hyderabad

HoledandCreative

carabonnair

Afghanistan, Kabul AH 1309? (1891) Can you read the date?

MyWorldCoinTypeSet

A couple Mughal Empire Rupees ...

AH1102//35 (1691)

AH116x//2 (1755)

carabonnair

Assam SE1716 (1794)

MrBreeze

"Earlier silver rupees seem to get no love."

I like it that way.

Zoins

@WorldCoinsDmitry said:
Wish I was more fluent in the thick rupees. They are cool coins, but I've always had a hard time figuring most of them out.

This is my situation as well. They look like great coins but I wish I understood them more, in order to pick some up.

vulcanize

There are some great websites (including numista) for checking out and figuring the Indian rupee

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/inde_britannique-1.html

https://www.zeno.ru/showgallery.php?cat=861

As for the mint marks and such on the newer ones, the following links have helped me tremendously.

https://republicindiacoin.blogspot.com/2012/12/mint-marks-on-republic-indian-coins.html

https://naveen-numismatics.blogspot.com/

vulcanize

One thing to watch out for, is the numerous fakes that are circulating around.
Got the following bogus 1939 coin from the UK. I picked it up for cheap knowing very well it was a forgery, thanks to the below link.

https://nilaish.blogspot.com/2014/09/1939-one-rupee-coin-guide_13.html

Yorkshireman

Not as early as some other examples, but here is mine:

Weiss

Glad this thread was revived.

This pretty girl came raw from the same group that Nazarana rupee above came from.
Like all the 2000 +/- pieces from this older collection, this coin was raw, in a 2x2. With a penciled date and usually highly inflated price estimate (1970s or 1980s vintage) on the back of the 2x2.

My dealer released this collection to his inventory over a few weeks, about 100 coins a day. Several collectors had already seen this coin's lot the day I found her, and had passed her over for just being too good to be true--a modern restrike or fantasy bullion piece.

In fact, so many people disregarded her that my dealer just shrugged and said "$65". I sold her shortly after she returned from ATS. One I kind of wished that I kept, though she had no business in my collection.

vulcanize

The 1911 Pig Rupee caused a furore and had to be withdrawn.

https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-pig-rupee-a-currency-controversy-2651497

Zwiggy

The last year (1869) of the crude hammered Portuguese Rupia issues. It’s amazing how cartoonish the portraits were.

coinkat

This one graded MS63- a slightly better date. I tend to agree that there is so much to explore and collect here... I see some potential interest. And that interest will likely be more with the the non colonial issues.

I am really curious as to the surviving population of the Portuguese issues... I suspect these might be more difficult to find than folks may think. And that is merely a hunch on my part as I have no support to back up the hunch

coinkat

I really like the look of the coin featured in the OP...sort of wondering about the grade and why it landed at a 61

Weiss

@coinkat said:
I really like the look of the coin featured in the OP...sort of wondering about the grade and why it landed at a 61

Right? I had never seen one of these before I bought and submitted this one. But I've since seen a half-dozen same year (or later) with higher grades. Most are identical, with the same creamy white surfaces. Some appear more weakly struck.
61 is one of those strange grades that usually denotes...something. But in this case, I think this piece is a clean 63. Love to hear opinions from anyone with experience.

Zwiggy

@Weiss said:

Right? I had never seen one of these before I bought and submitted this one. But I've since seen a half-dozen same year (or later) with higher grades. Most are identical, with the same creamy white surfaces. Some appear more weakly struck.
61 is one of those strange grades that usually denotes...something. But in this case, I think this piece is a clean 63. Love to hear opinions from anyone with experience.

I’ve noticed that a some of these are now getting a restrike designation. I wonder if there is a write up about this?

Here is one I have now, it’s a 64. Deep strike, not designation as a restrike. Lovely high relief that is tough to get in a picture.

coinkat

Timely resurgence of this thread. At some point, I will post my submission of the same date rupee. My submission was to our host. I still see the Portuguese rupees as far more difficult to find than the British Colonial issues.

WillieBoyd2

Here are two Portugal India rupees minted a century apart:

Portugal India Goa Rupia 1805 - Joao VI as regent for Maria I
Silver, 22.0 mm, 10.79 gm, Goa Mint

Portugal India Rupia 1912 - Republic
Silver, 31.0 mm, 11.54 gm, Lisbon Mint Overdate 1912/1

Bailathacl

From the Steve Album auction this April (photos and description arr theirs). The luster vanishes in the picture without the slab, for no good reason, but in hand it is really perfect (without magnification in any event).