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The Impossible 1902 George V Rupee A Possible Die Error or an Altered Date?

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Among British Indian coins , few things are more intriguing to a collector than a date that appears to contradict the historical record. The silver rupee shown here presents exactly such a mystery. At first glance, this is unmistakably a George V British Indian silver rupee. The obverse carries the crowned and robed portrait of George V facing left with the legend “GEORGE V KING EMPEROR.” The reverse bears the familiar elaborate floral design surrounding the inscription: ONE RUPEE INDIA 1902 The problem is immediately obvious: George V could not have issued an Indian rupee dated 1902. George V became King-Emperor of India only in 1910, following the death of his father, Edward VII . The documented George V rupee series began in 1911. Standard references identify the first George V rupee as the 1911 issue, followed by the regular series from 1912 onward. This makes the specimen illustrated here an extremely interesting p...
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An Unusual 1897 Quarter Anna of Queen Victoria A Numismatic Examination of Weight and Thickness Variation

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Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901 represents one of the most fascinating periods in the history of British Indian coinage . Her coins reflect not only the changing political status of India, from East India Company administration to direct Crown rule , but also a remarkable evolution in portraiture, inscriptions, minting practices, and die varieties. For modern numismatists , Victorian Indian coinage offers an unusually rich field of study because apparently identical coins can reveal important differences when their weight, dimensions, dies, and physical characteristics are examined closely. An 1897 Quarter Anna of Queen Victoria presents a particularly interesting opportunity for closer examination. At first glance, an 1897 Quarter Anna may appear to be a relatively familiar late-Victorian denomination. However, careful physical examination of an individual specimen can sometimes reveal characteristics that deserve further investigation. This is particularly true when the...
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The 1914 British India 1/12 Anna: A “Large 1” Variety of the Date

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Among the copper issues of British India, the small-denomination coins of King George V offer collectors an interesting field for studying minor design and die varieties. One particularly intriguing example is the 1914 British India 1/12 Anna, featuring what appears to be a noticeably larger numeral “1” in the date. This specimen is an interesting addition to the study of early George V coinage and demonstrates how even a very small denomination can reveal details worthy of close numismatic examination. George Frederick Ernest Albert, better known as King George V , was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and was born during the reign of his grandmother, Queen Victoria. The coin under discussion is a British India 1/12 Anna dated 1914, struck during the early part of George V's reign. It belongs to the copper coinage issued for British India an...
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The 1920 Bombay Mint Four Annas An Observed Variety in Mint-Mark Form

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The four-anna denomination of British India issued during the reign of King George V is an interesting series for collectors of British Indian coinage , particularly because of its distinctive scalloped-octagonal shape , multilingual inscriptions and mint-specific diagnostics. Among the Bombay Mint issues, small differences in the mint mark can provide important clues for identifying possible die varieties . George Frederick Ernest Albert, popularly known as George V, was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 6 May 1910 until his death on 20 January 1936. He was the second son of Albert Edward, later King Edward VII, and was born during the reign of his grandmother, Queen Victoria. During George V's reign, the four-anna coin was struck between 1919 and 1921 at the Calcutta and Bombay Mints . The denomination was produced in a copper-nickel alloy and has a distinctive scalloped-octagonal flan with a plain edge. The coin measures approxi...
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An Unusual 1952 Pakistan Five Paisa Pattern? A Numismatic Study of a Possible Trial Strike, Fantasy Issue, or Unofficial Token

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The partition of British India in 1947 resulted in the creation of the Dominion of Pakistan, comprising two geographically separated regions, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh ) and West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan). Despite the vast distance between the two wings, both shared a unified monetary system administered by the Government of Pakistan. During the formative years of the new nation, several coinage issues were introduced to establish a distinct national identity while facilitating commerce throughout the country. Among these early issues, the 1952 Five Paisa occupies an important position in the history of Pakistani decimal coinage and remains one of the most recognizable early post-independence denominations. The first officially issued Five Paisa coin of Pakistan was introduced in 1952. Struck in nickel-brass, the coin measures approximately 18.5 mm across its characteristic square flan with rounded corners, weighs about 2.56 grams, and possesses a plain edge. P...
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রাণী ভিক্টোরিয়ার ব্রিটিশ ভারতীয় মুদ্রার অবভার্স ও রিভার্স বৈচিত্র্যের নির্ণায়ক বৈশিষ্ট্য

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ব্রিটিশ ভারতের রাণী ভিক্টোরিয়া সিরিজের মুদ্রাসমূহে সাধারণত দেখা যায় এমন প্রধান অবভার্স (Obverse) ও রিভার্স (Reverse)   ডাই বৈচিত্র্য ( Die Varieties) উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে। এই বৈশিষ্ট্যগত ডাই নির্ণায়কসমূহ ( Diagnostic Features) নিউমিসম্যাটিস্টদের কাছে বিভিন্ন ডাই সনাক্তকরণ , বস্ট ( Bust) বৈচিত্র্যের শ্রেণিবিন্যাস , নির্দিষ্ট মুদ্রার ধরন নির্ধারণ এবং বিরল ডাই - সমন্বয় ( Rare Die Combinations) শনাক্তকরণের জন্য বহুল ব্যবহৃত একটি মানদণ্ড হিসেবে বিবেচিত। অবভার্সে প্রতিকৃতির সূক্ষ্ম নকশাগত বৈশিষ্ট্য এবং রিভার্সে বিদ্যমান পুষ্পালঙ্করণ ( Floral Ornamentation) গভীরভাবে পর্যবেক্ষণের মাধ্যমে সংগ্রাহক ও গবেষকরা বিভিন্ন ডাই বৈচিত্র্য যথাযথভাবে নির্ণয় করতে পারেন। এ ধরনের অনেক বৈচিত্র্য প্রচলিত ক্যাটালগে পৃথকভাবে উল্লেখ না থাকলেও , ডাই - নির্ণায়ক বৈশিষ্ট্যের বিশদ বিশ্লেষণের মাধ্যমে সেগুলো নির্ভুলভাবে শনাক্ত ও শ্রেণিবদ্ধ করা সম্ভব । অবভার্স ডাই বৈচিত্র্য ( Obverse Die Varieties) সনাক্তকরণের অন্যতম নির্ভরযোগ্য পদ...
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