Arcot AH 1212/4 rupee
This specimen was lot 916 in Stephen Album sale 47 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2023), where it sold for $228. The catalog description[1] noted, "ARCOT: Umdat al-Umara, 1796-1801, AR rupee, Arkat, AH1212 year 4, in the name of Shah Alam II but with regnal year for Umdat al-Umara; citing 'Wala' on reverse, with the first two letters within the S of jalus, very rare with legible regnal year, bold VF-EF, RR, ex Charles W. Lueders III Collection." This type was struck AH 1211-1214.
Wikipedia comments, "Ghulam Husain Ali Khan (8 January 1748 – 15 July 1801) aka Ghulam Hussainy or Umdat ul-Umra, was the Nawab of the Carnatic state in the Mughal Empire from 1795 to 1801.... Azim-ud-Daula (1775 – 2 August 1819) was the Nawab of Carnatic from 1801 to 1819. He was the eldest son of Amir ul-Umara and nephew of Umdat ul-Umara." The British became convinced that Umdat al-Umara had been providing secret assistance to their nemesis, Tipu Sultan of Mysore. After Tipu's defeat and death, they demanded that Umdat al-Umara surrender administration of his state to them. He refused but the British forced his successor, Azim-ud-Daula, to sign the treaty anyway, ending the independence of the Carnatic. French influence had been strong there but after 1801 was restricted to their stations at Pondichery, Yanaon and Karikal. Both the French and the British issued imitations of Arcot rupees.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 10.7-11.6 g, silver, this specimen 11.34 g.
Catalog reference: KM-54.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 47, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2023.
Link to:
- Arcot AH 1188/10 rupee
- Tranquebar AH(11)83/14 rupee imitation of an Arcot rupee
- Arcot AH 1218/44 rupee struck by the French
- Coins and currency dated 1797