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1918 I Sov - Counterstamps

CruziCruzi Posts: 460
in World & Ancient Coins Forum
Not my coin or picture.

It is a 1918 Indian Sov with what appears to be Arabic counterstamps, anyone seen or heard of this ?

image

Comments

  • ormandhormandh Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭
    COOL!!! I find counterstamps fascinating. I would be very interested in what kind of info is out there for this. -Dan
    Numismasource ebay store
  • cdmeadcdmead Posts: 121
    The stamp that looks like it has two backwards 7s are "22" in Arabic. I'd bet that's a confirmation of the gold purity (22 Karat).

    I've seen a 21K counterstamp also on a "bad" coin.
    There's nothing in the rule book that says an elephant can't pitch.

    image
  • shirohniichanshirohniichan Posts: 4,992 ✭✭✭
    Kewl! I've seen Indian shroff marks, Chinese chopmarks, and ancient test marks on silver coins, but I've never seen Arabic countermarks on any kind of coin.
    image
    Obscurum per obscurius
  • CruziCruzi Posts: 460
    The only theory I have, and it is just a theory, is in the time after WW2 when sovereigns were used by Arab states as coinage and payments to foriegn oil workers and before the time they started to make their own sovereign equivelents coins, the counterfeiting problem forced them to counterstrike some coins as a method of guarantee.

    I've never seen or heard of them before but my theory would fit???????
  • shirohniichanshirohniichan Posts: 4,992 ✭✭✭
    It would indeed make sense for bankers/merchants to counterstamp coins to show they were tested for authenticity or authorized weight.
    image
    Obscurum per obscurius
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