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

166the view of effecting a change in the rupee currency throughoutBritish India with all convenient expedition." 3. It will be, of course, necessary as subservient to the measureto change the rupee of account on the general books of this presidencyas suggested by you. The Governor-General in Council,on the adoption of the new unit, approves of the conversion of allticca value and amounts into it at the intrinsic par of yf ." 4. I am directed to call for further reports and suggestionsfrom you as to a corresponding change in the gold and coppercurrency cf British India, which it will be advisable to submitat your earliest convenience."In a further letter from Government, the Mint Committee ofCalcutta was informed that "It has this day (22nd April l.s -'!.">)resolved to inscribe on the reverse of the new silver coinage thedenomination of value in the English and Persian languages only,and to have no difference whatever in the dies of the several presidencies.The year (1835) of the die will represent the era of thealteration of the coins, and will not need to be changed until a newcoin shall be ordered to be struck. On the face of the coin withHis Majesty's head it will be sufficient to stamp the name of theSovereign WILLIAM iv, without the word King." But in a furtherletter, dated 13th May 1835, it is stated that " the selection ofthe Governor-General in Council has fallen upon the specimen withthe inscription WILLIAM iv KING, as none of the others withoutthe word King are approved. The above legend is accordingly tobe adopted for the obverse of the new coin."The details of the new coinage were finally laid down byAct XVII, 1835, wherein it was enacted " that from the 1st dayof September 1835, the undermentioned silver coins only shall becoined at the mints within the territories of the East India Companya rupee to be denominated the Company's rupee a half; ;rupee, a quarter rupee, and a double rupee and the weight of the;said rupee shall be 180 grains troy, and the standard shall be asfollows :}^ or 165 grains of pure silver ;-y ^ or 15 grains of alloy ;and the other coins shall be of proportionate weight and of thesame standard." And that these coins shall bear on the obverse the head andthe name of the reigning sovereign of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and on the reverse the designation ofthe coin in English and Persian, and the words EAST INDIA COM-PANY in English with such embellishment as shall from time totime " be ordered by the Governor- General in Council.And that the Company's rupee, half rupee, and double rupeeshall be a legal tender in satisfaction of all engagements, providedthe coin shall not have lost more than 2 per cent, in weight, andprovided it shall not have been clipped or filed, or have beendefaced " otherwise than byAnd use.that the said rupee shall be received as equivalent to theBombay, Madras, Farrukhabad and Sonat rupees, and to fifteensixteenthsof the Calcutta sicca inpee and the half and double;