Unusual Dot Rupee of Victoria Queen in 1862

Alexandrina Victoria commonly known as Queen Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death on 1901. Her 63 years long reign is known as the Victorian era. It was a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.

During the reign of Victoria Queen, coins mintages are divided in four eras. 1840 to 1850 was continuous legend under East India Company. Coins with continuous legend refer to the legend VICTORIA QUEEN running continuously over the Queen’s head. 1850 to 1860 was divided legend under East India Company. Coins with divided legend on Obverse VICTORIA QUEEN is divided by Queen’s head. The direct rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent started on 1958 was the British Raj was lasted up to 1947. The region under British control was commonly called India in contemporaneous usage and included areas directly administered by the United Kingdom, which were collectively called British India. 1862 to 1876 was imperial coinage under crown administration. Continuous dating on coin was started from 1874. Year was mentioned by dot from 1862 to 1874 with the dated coins of 1862. 1877 to 1901 was Victoria Empress while the British Parliament voted to grant Victoria Queen the additional title of Empress of India on 1876.

During 1862, Rupee was minted in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Calcutta and Bombay mint was continued from 1862 to 1874 but Madras mint was from 1862 to 1869. 1862 was fixed from 1862 to 1874 and dot was added to count year.  This theory used in the Krause catalogue listings. Size and quality of these dots are different. British Indian coins display a high degree of workmanship both in design and in manufacture. But these dots appear crude, oddly placed and of varying size. Dots were placed either tope on N (ONE) or at the bottom, below the centre of the date and just above the ornamental feature; or both. K. N. Sharif, in his book "Hundred Years of Indian Coinage", presents a good argument against this theory. An old theory of the Indian public was that these dots indicated forgeries. Others suggest that mint workers applied the dots with broken nails! Below photo is an example of dot Rupee of 1862.


But I found a Rupee of 1862 having only a dot at the middle of the coin as below photo. Placement of dot at the centre (almost) of the Rupee is not common. Dot was placed just above D (INDIA). Surely date will be counted as;

1+1862 = 1863.




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