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

30situate, according to the Factory records, at Arcot, St. Thome*and Covelong, but according to the Dewiin at Arcot, Tiruvamur,and Porto Novo. By St. Thome and Covelong are probablymeant the obscure village of Tiruvamur. The Porto Noro hintsI apprehend to have been first produced by the Europeans atthat place, whence it came to be also designated as Feringhipet.When the influence of the Portuguese on the Coromandel coastwas circumscribed by the Dutch and the Muhammadans, the mintappears to have passed into the hands of the Nawab, who continuedto issue hunts under the name of Porto Noro, Feringhipet,Negapatam (where had also been a Portuguese Factory), andafterwards of Scot pagodas. Buchanan found in 18oO that atPalghat " the accounts were kept in Ferwgy or Porto JKovo pagodasor varahuns ; pudamt-ni l commonly called vir raya fanams, and" cash, and that there was a profit in bringing Porto Noco pagodasfrom Dharapuram in Coirnbatore to Palghat, and carrying backvir ray a fanams."1742. The following letter from Mr. Sidney Foxall, dated Fort St.George, 16th August 1742, furnishes us with a description of theprocess employed in the coinage of money in the Madras Mint atthat time :" Honorable Sir and Sirs," It is a great concern to me to observe by an extract of theGeneral Letter from England, that the Honorable Company shouldhave the least shadow of reason to suspect that I have been anyway negligent in my duty towards them ;for I do assure yourHonors, that I have at all times used my utmost care and diligence,as much as in me lay, to keep the minters to their weight andstandard in all the moneys that have been coined since my time ;and that I never discovered any attempt to adulterate the coin,but in the affair ofBangum with which I took care to acquaintthis Honorable Board." The methods of coinage in the Tower of London differmuch from what is used here it ; being impossible to adulteratethe gold and silver there after the Assay Master has tried them,being cast into bars, before the assays are taken. Those barsafterwards run through flatting mills, the money cut out with anengine, milled and stamped,, but no more melted. The constantmethod here has been, first to melt the gold or silver, and breakit into small grains or powder the muster is taken ; by the AssayMaster; after which (if of the proper standard), the grains orpowder is distributed among a great number of coolies in severalwork-houses or :godowns who weigh every rupee and pagodaseparate, and afterwards deliver them to other coolies to melt.Different persons receive them to flat, and others to stamp. Bywhich method of working, your Honors must be very sensible,that, if it was not for some confidence which must be put in theundertakers, and the fear of punishment in such as should bedetected, my utmost care and vigilance could not prevent fromadulterations. The only check upon them, and what I frequently1Pudameni, signifying new coinage, so called in contra-distinction to thepalaya mani or ancient coina|fe.