British Indian Coins

Albert Edward commonly known as King Edward VII was the elder son of Queen Victoria. He ascended the throne after her death on 1901. The Edward VII series of coins of India are dated from 1903 to 1910. The Rupee of King Edward VII was minted in both Calcutta and Bombay . There was no mint mark for Calcutta, but the Bombay issues had a small incuse "B" (the 1903 Rupee also had a raised "B" variety). The incuse "B" mint mark is too small to see, but there is a second, more prominent mark, a "dot" on the stem of the lotus-bud (lower right on reverse). According to the book of D. Chakravarty, "Coins of India", this was intentional. He said, "Since the 'dot' itself was found adequate to distinguish the products of the mint, and there was no need to have a conspicuous mint-mark, as an incuse 'B', from 1906 onward there was apparently an attempt to erase the 'B', but not very successfully." Various traces ...

Among the numerous denominations of British India , the Half Pice occupies a modest but historically important place. Although it represented only a tiny fraction of a rupee, this small bronze coin played a practical role in everyday commerce and provides collectors with an interesting glimpse into the monetary system of colonial India. The specimen discussed here is a 1908 Half Pice of King Edward VII , shown in the accompanying photographs. What makes this particular example especially interesting is that, although its diameter corresponds closely with the standard specification, it is noticeably lighter and thinner than the commonly cited specifications for the type.   King Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, succeeded to the British throne following her death on 22 January 1901. His coronation took place on 9 August 1902. The Indian coinage bearing Edward VII's portrait was issued from 1903 to 1910. One of the most distinctive characteristics of Edward VII's ...