Coins In Lucknow Mus. Vol 01 [56 MB - IndianCoins.org

25linguist) the memorable Firman or Edict exempting them fromthe payment of customs, authorising them to coin money of theEmpire in the Island of Bombay, as had been usual at Chinnapatnaiuor Madras, and granting them the exercise of many otherimportant privileges." In a note Marsden adds " it is dated thefourth day of the second month (1129), and in the fifth year ofthe reign. (Kith January 1716-17)."A translation of it will be found in Frazer's " History ofNadir Shah," p. 45, and the details of many circumstances respectingit in Scott's " History of Aurangzeeb's successors," p. 139.Auber in his " Eise and Progress of British Power in India,"vol. I. p. 21, gives many particulars of this grant, which, however,Jaffier Khan, the Moghul Governor of India, manifested an indispositionto obey and, in a despatch from the members of the;Embassy, dated Conimbu/ar, 15th August 1717, they say " we wentourselves to him, and showed him the Fhermand, and demandedthe free use of the mint as before advised." Jaffier put them off,as they say 'with a few sweetening words," and by a despatch ofthe directors, dated 16th February 1721, we find that up to thattime the matter still remained as it had been ;for then write the"directors :By all this we hope you will lay hold of the presentopportunity to get the grants confirmed. First that of the mint."The " present " opportunity was probably the accession of a newemperor (Muhammad Shah), and in 1725 they had obtained theboon ; for, in a despatch of the Directors, dated 5th December1725, they say " For the reasons by you : given we permit you torebuild your Silver Mint."In 1717 the Company obtained the island of Diu, 37 townshipsin Bengal, which gave it the command of the river for 10 mile,S. of Calcutta, and had certain villages restored to it near Madras,which had formerly been given by the Arcot ruler, and resumed.The earliest coins of the Company in the Madras Museum whichbear a date are a thick copper coin bearing on one side themonogram of the Company, and on the other the date 1722, and asmaller thin coin likewise bearing the monogram, and the date1733. Coins of the latter type were also issued by the DutchEast India Company, bearing their monogram, V.O.C. ( VcreinigtcOxiuidische Compagnie), to which a letter was frequently added,representing the initial letter of the mint town, e.g.,P (Pulicat)and N (Negapatam).The following copper or lead (Zinn} coins are attributed to thereign of George I (1714-1727) :_1. Lead. Double and single PiceObverse. The English Crown with G.R. above, and BOMB below.Reverse. The motto AVSPICIO REGIS ET SEJSTATVS ANGIXE.[pi. xvi, 8].As regards lead coins of this type (of which the later issues bearthe dates) struck during the reigns of the Georges, the writer ofan article in the Numismatic Chronicle remarks ! :"Ruding . . .gives engravings of a large lead piece from Bombay, which has nodate, but, from the letters G.R. on it, he assigns it with probabilityto George I. I have a similar coin with the date 1741, weight1Vol. xviii, p. 76.