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Queen Victoria’s 1896 Quarter Anna: A Closer Look at Copper and Rarity

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Alexandrina Victoria, historically known as Queen Victoria , reigned over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her more than six-decade rule marked the Victorian Era , a period of profound transformation characterized by rapid industrialization, political reform, scientific innovation, and expanding global influence. Under her leadership, the British Empire reached unparalleled scale, shaping international trade, culture, and geopolitics for generations. The 1896 Quarter Anna of British India was a small copper coin issued during Queen Victoria’s reign. Minted at the Calcutta Mint , coins from this mint typically do not carry a mint mark, which can make attribution slightly more nuanced for collectors, the coin generally weighed around 6.3 grams, measured about 25.2 mm in diameter, and had a thickness of approximately 1.2 mm. It featured a plain edge and, over time, developed a dark brown patina typical of aged copper. The obverse displa...
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Victoria Empress 1893 Rupee: Examining a Lighter, Thinner Coin

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Queen Victoria , who reigned from 1837 to 1901, oversaw one of the most remarkable and collectible coinage periods in British India . Her long tenure is often divided into four main coinage phases, each distinguished by unique design features that help numismatists categorize and identify individual issues. 1840–1850: Continuous Legend (East India Company) – Early Victorian coins from this period display a youthful portrait of the queen surrounded by the inscription VICTORIA QUEEN in an uninterrupted circular legend. Collectors value these coins for their elegant engraving and the subtle variations in early dies. 1850–1860: Divided Legend (East India Company) – In this era, the legend is split by the portrait, with VICTORIA on one side and QUEEN on the other. This small but significant design change provides an important marker for mid-19th century issues. 1862–1876: Imperial Coinage (Crown Rule) – Following the transfer of authority to ...
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1916 George V Rupee: Weight Anomaly and Design Variation

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George Frederick Ernest Albert, widely known as George V , reigned as King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, as well as Emperor of India, from 1910 to 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria , he was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales . During George V’s reign, the silver Rupee was minted from 1911 to 1922. Between 1911 and 1920, the Rupees were struck at both the Calcutta and Bombay Mints, while the 1921–1922 issues were produced exclusively at Bombay. The coins featured a milled edge and an average weight of approximately 11.6 grams, with diameters ranging from 30.5 mm to 30.8 mm. Distinguishing features include a raised dot beneath the bottom flower on Bombay-minted coins, absent on Calcutta issues. The reverse commonly displayed an Indian lotus at the bottom, with a small dot at its center. An intriguing specimen of a 1916 Rupee from the Bombay Mint exhibits a diameter of 30.5 mm and a slightly elevated weight of 11.67 grams....
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An Unusual Lightweight Thin Variety of the 1944 Two-Anna Coin under George VI in British India

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Albert Frederick Arthur George, widely known as George VI , ruled as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 1936 to 1952. He also served as the last Emperor of British India , holding this title until the end of the British Raj in August 1947. Coins struck during his reign, including the 1944 2-anna issues , bear his effigy and offer a glimpse into the late colonial coinage of India. In 1944, during the reign of George VI, the 2-anna coin of British India was produced at two major mints: the Bombay Mint and the Lahore Mint . These coins were part of the wartime coinage issued in the later years of British rule in India. A notable numismatic distinction between the two mints lies in the mint mark style used below the year. Coins struck at the Bombay Mint bear a small dot beneath the date “1944”, which served as the identifying mint mark for Bombay issues. In contrast, the coins produced at the Lahore Mint do not carry this dot, making them ide...
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Border Bead Variation on the 1862 Quarter Anna of British India

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Alexandrina Victoria, better known to history as Queen Victoria , ruled the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign, lasting more than six decades, gave its name to the Victorian Era , a transformative age defined by rapid industrial growth, major political reform, scientific advancement, and expanding military power. During this time, Britain strengthened its global influence, and the British Empire reached an unprecedented scale, shaping world affairs, trade, and culture for generations. The 1862 British India Quarter Anna (Victoria Queen) is a copper fractional coin struck during the early years of Crown rule following the 1857 transfer of power. Featuring the crowned left-facing bust of Queen Victoria on the obverse with the legend VICTORIA QUEEN , the reverse displays the denomination ONE QUARTER ANNA and the year 1862 within a beaded circle and wreath. The typical official specifications list a diameter of approximately 25.5 m...
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Obverse Inscription Anomaly in a Rupee of William IV: A Preliminary Note

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William IV , born William Henry, was the last monarch to rule as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as well as King of Hanover , reigning from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837 . He was the third son of George III . During his reign, the East India Company issued silver rupees bearing the date 1835 , which are known today in several distinct varieties. In addition to these officially dated issues, numismatic evidence also points to the existence of an exceptionally rare rupee dated 1840 carrying his name. Furthermore, rotation errors observed on rupees from William IV’s period are relatively well documented and frequently encountered among surviving specimens. The silver rupee issued in the name of William IV represents one of the most distinctive coinages of the East India Company period. Although William IV reigned from 1830 to 1837, the standard rupee bearing his name is dated 1835 and exists in multiple varieties, reflecting differences in lettering, ...
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The Lower-Weight Rupee of 1945 under George VI

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George VI was the last Emperor of India during British rule, holding the title until the dissolution of the British Raj in August 1947 . He reigned as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 1936 to 1952. Born Albert Frederick Arthur George, his reign coincided with a period of major political and monetary transition. Throughout his rule, One Rupee coins were struck at the Calcutta , Bombay , and Lahore mints using varying compositions, including 0.917 silver , 0.500 silver , and nickel . Early issues featured a reeded (milled) edge, which was later replaced by a security edge . Between 1938 and 1945 , the rupee maintained a standard weight ranging from 11.33 g to 11.66 g, with diameters between 30.4 mm and 30.7 mm. In 1947, the diameter was reduced to 28 mm, reflecting changes in coinage standards. The edge treatment evolved over time: coins minted in 1938 and 1939 retained a milled edge , while the security edge was adopted from 1939 ...
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The Big Three of 1893: A Numismatic Study of the British Indian One Rupee

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Queen Victoria ’s reign ( 1837–1901 ) produced one of the most studied and sought-after coinages of British India . For collectors, her coinage is traditionally classified into four distinct phases, each defined by clear changes in legend style, portrait, and administrative authority. 1. 1840–1850: Continuous Legend ( East India Company ): The earliest Victorian issues feature a youthful bust encircled by the uninterrupted inscription VICTORIA QUEEN . The smooth, flowing legend and refined engraving of this period make these coins especially appealing, with several early die varieties attracting specialist interest. 2. 1850–1860: Divided Legend (East India Company): In this phase, the portrait breaks the legend, placing VICTORIA on one side of the bust and QUEEN on the other. Though subtle, this modification marks a key transitional style and is a primary diagnostic feature for identifying mid-century issues. 3. 1862–1876: Imperial Coinage (Crown Administration): Following the t...
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A Petite One-Rupee Coin from the Year 1890

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Queen Victoria , who ruled from 1837 to 1901 , left behind one of the most fascinating and collectible coin series in the history of British India . Her long reign is divided into four major coinage eras, each with distinct designs that help collectors identify and categorize coins. 1. 1840–1850 : Continuous Legend ( East India Company ): These early Victorian coins show a young portrait with the words VICTORIA QUEEN written in one smooth, unbroken circle around the bust. Collectors appreciate this era for its elegant engraving and early die varieties. 2. 1850–1860 : Divided Legend (East India Company): Here, the portrait interrupts the legend, VICTORIA appears on one side and QUEEN on the other. This simple change creates an important variation for identifying mid-century issues. 3. 1862–1876 : Imperial Coinage ( Crown Rule ): After the British Crown took direct control in 1858 , a new uniform series began in 1862 . Although these coins all show the same date, “1862,” diffe...
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Unusual Three-Star Mark Above the Head of Queen Victoria on the 1840 Rupee

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Alexandrina Victoria, known historically as Queen Victoria , reigned from 1837 to 1901, a period that saw the British Empire expand significantly in political, industrial, scientific, and military influence. Indian coinage issued in her name is customarily divided into four phases. 1840–1850: Continuous Legend issues of the East India Company , bearing the uninterrupted inscription VICTORIA QUEEN above the portrait. 1850–1860: Divided Legend issues, where the obverse legend VICTORIA and QUEEN is split by the bust. 1862–1876: Imperial issues under Crown administration; dates expressed by bead-marks from 1862–1874, with fully dated coins beginning in 1874. 1877–1901: Empress issues following the conferral of the title Empress of India in 1876. During the East India Company period, rupees were struck at Calcutta , Bombay , and Madras . The obverse design varies distinctly between the two early types: the Continuous Legend...
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