Rare Milled Edge Rupee of George VI in 1945

Albert Frederick Arthur George, better known as King George VI, reigned as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 1936 until 1952. He was also the last Emperor of British India, holding the imperial title until the dissolution of the British Raj in August 1947, when India and Pakistan gained independence. The coinage issued during his reign represents the final phase of British Indian numismatics and documents the transition from traditional silver currency to base-metal coinage during the economic pressures of the Second World War and the closing years of colonial administration.

The One Rupee remained the principal silver denomination throughout most of George VI's reign and was struck at the Calcutta, Bombay, and Lahore Mints. Depending on the year of issue, the coin was produced in 0.917 fine silver, 0.500 fine silver, and finally nickel. Standard silver issues generally weighed between 11.33 and 11.66 grams, with a diameter ranging from 30.4 to 30.7 mm, while the reduced-size nickel issue of 1947 measured approximately 28 mm. The series also experienced several modifications to its edge treatment. Reeded (milled) edges were employed on selected issues, whereas security edges became common during the wartime years. Mint identification followed the established British Indian system: Calcutta issues carried no mint mark, Bombay coins displayed a small dot or diamond beneath the lotus ornament on the reverse, and Lahore issues were distinguished by a small "L" in the same position. Following the introduction of nickel in 1946, the traditional floral reverse was replaced by the distinctive Indian tiger design, signalling the final redesign of the British Indian Rupee.

According to the principal references on British Indian coinage, including the works of Gev Kias and Dilip Rajgor, the 1945 One Rupee has been recorded only for the Bombay and Lahore Mints. The Bombay Mint is known with security-edge varieties, including both the regular "5" and the scarcer large "5" date punches, together with a milled-edge variety. However, the published literature does not record a milled-edge issue from the Lahore Mint, nor does it distinguish the physical specifications of the Bombay milled-edge variety from those of the standard security-edge coins.

The specimen presented here appears to represent an unrecorded Lahore Mint milled-edge variety. The coin bears the characteristic "L" mint mark, confirming its Lahore origin, while the edge is unmistakably milled, contrary to the established references that associate Lahore production exclusively with the security edge for this year. The coin measures approximately 30.5 mm in diameter with a thickness of 2.2 mm, dimensions that closely correspond to the standard silver Rupee of the period.

The most remarkable characteristic of this specimen is its weight of 12.4 grams, significantly exceeding the accepted standard of approximately 11.6 grams for the 1945 silver Rupee. Despite this substantial increase in weight, careful examination reveals no significant differences in design, legends, or fabric apart from the edge treatment and mass. The absence of any obvious alterations suggests that the coin may have been struck on an unusually heavy planchet rather than representing post-mint modification or damage.

If confirmed through metallurgical analysis, die comparison, and examination of additional specimens, this coin could represent a previously undocumented heavy-planchet Lahore Mint variety of the 1945 One Rupee. Its combination of an unrecorded milled edge and substantially above-standard weight provides valuable evidence for the study of wartime minting practices in British India. Such a discovery would not only broaden the known variety spectrum of the 1945 Rupee but also contribute to a deeper understanding of planchet preparation, quality control, and mint operations during the final years of the British Raj.