Andaman Islands 1861 rupee token
The first specimen was lot 1170 in CNG sale Triton XXVII (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $11,025. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA, Colonial. British India. Victoria. Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837-1901. CU Penal Colony Rupee Token. Issue of the Andaman Island Penal Colony. Dated 1861. VICTORIA QUEEN, young head left, wearing stephane / ANDAMAN TOKEN 1861, ONE RUPEE around central hole as made; all within laurel wreath. Brown surfaces. VF. Extremely rare. Ex New York Sale XVII (9 January 2008), lot 407.
While the first British penal colony on the Andaman Islands was established as early as 1789, disease and a high mortality rate led to its closure after barely seven years. The token offered here was issued from a later convict establishment, begun in November 1857 at Port Blair. Originally delayed by two years because of the Indian Rebellion, the Andaman penal colony became chiefly used as a prison for Indian political prisoners, who referred to the facility as Kala pana, meaning ‘Black Water’."
The second specimen was lot 54153 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $24,000. The catalog description[2] noted,
"INDIA. Ross Island Penal Colony. Copper Rupee Token, 1861. Calcutta Mint. Victoria. PCGS EF-45. With Central hole. Amongst the RAREST and most desired issues from not only the British colonial coinages, but amongst all coining countries in general. The Ross Island Penal colony was a British Penal colony created in the remote Andaman Islands after the Indian Revolt of 1857 and functioned in a similar fashion to early British Penal colonies in Australia and the United States. Nearly the entire population of the colony was convicts, and the penal superintendent suggested a token coinage to meet the meager internal economic needs of the colony. The obverse of the issue was adapted from a Straits Settlement Cent, with the reverse suggested by the superintendent. This issue was produced at the Calcutta Mint and circulated with a later 1866 issue until all penal coinage was recalled in 1870.
While it is not certain how many examples survive, the number is meager and demand always outstrips supply. This issue represents the chance to acquire a coin from one of the shortest lived issuers, and no collection containing a coin from each nation can be considered complete without a piece from the Andaman islands. The present representative is supremely engaging, with only limited circulation and much appeal throughout. A piece that will certain strike the fancy of collectors of British Colonial coinage, Indian issues, or just general world coins."
Prior to the Indian Mutiny and the liquidation of the EIC, the islands were administered by the Bengal Presidency.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: copper, the first specimen 29 mm diameter, 8.71 g, 12 h axis.
Catalog reference: Pridmore 1; KM Tn 1.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019
- [1]Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, Triton XXVII, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2023.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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