British Indian and Mughal Coins

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...

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 ...

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....

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...