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

FromTo58THE ACTING SECRETARY TOTHE SECRETARY TOGOVERNMENT,Fort Cornmillis,GOVERNMENT,Fort St.William.SIR,The copper coin sent out by the Honorable Court of IHrectors,having been all issued from the treasury, and great inconveniencebeing likely to arise before a supply can be received from England,I am directed to forward specimens of the coins in use, the piceand half pice, in the hope that it may be found practicable tomanufacture the same at the mint in Calcutta. These coins areissued, the first at 100, the second at 200 to the dollar, and passat Singapore, and all over the Malay Peninsula, where they aremuch sought after. A coinage of a double pye, 50 to the dollar,bearing the same stamp, would also be convenient, should themeasure be found practicable, and not attended with inconvenience.The transmission of the above coin to the amount of 10,000dollars in value would prove extremely useful to the generalcondition of the island.I have, &c., &c.,9th April 1825. E. I. BLUNDELL.The mint records show that, in consequence of this correspondence,new punches and dies were made, and 130,300 doublepice, 136,700 single pice, and 145,000 half pice struck for thePenang Government.As regards the earlier coinage of Pulo Pinang or Prince oflWales' Island, Marsden says:" There are in the collection a few specimens of small silvercoins struck in Bengal for the use of the English settlement atthis place. On one side is the customary mark of the East IndiaCompany, with the date 1788, and, on the other, in the Arabiccharacter the barbarous words (j~kjA c^-ji V>*" 'Jezirah Prans ab Wailis,' for 'Prince of Wales' Island.'The weight of the large coin is 4 dwts. 4| grs. and of the smaller,1 dwt. 18 grs. There is also a small specimen in copper withthe same inscription and date of 1787." Further Ruding figures 2two coins bearing on the obverse the arms of the Company and'the date 1810, and on the reverse the inscription Pulu Pinang,'surrounded by an ornamental border.In a letter from the Bombay Government to the Secretary toGovernment, Fort St. George, dated Bombay Castle, 12th August1824, it is stated that " The Honorable the Governor in Councilhas authorised those Bombay or Surat rupees termed Chapee,Soolakee, and Gabree rupees, which may be found in the consignmentsof treasure from Malabar, to be received at this presidency,the two first at a discount of 3 per cent, and the last at a discount11Op. cit., p. 809, pi. liv, mccxxxviii.Op. cit., vol. ii, p. 405, pi. xvi, figs. 9, 10.