Bombay (1802) mohur Fr-1558a
This specimen was lot 1363 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $4,320. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. British East India Company. Bombay Presidency. Surat Type Mohur, Privy Mark 3, Regnal Year 46 (1802). Bombay Mint. In the Name of Shah Alam II. NGC AU Details--Damaged. Frozen regnal year date. 1802 Upside down on panel and leopard head on the reverse. This type is breathtakingly RARE, as evidenced by its omission from Pridmore's catalog. Pridmore lists the specific privy mark as number 3 and being introduced in 1802 to denote the standardization of gold fineness in the Bombay Presidency. Pridmore, no. 260, was only able to confirm one example on a Panchia (1/3 Mohur) and left further research to others. This example, along with the few others that have come to public auction, were likely struck with the same dies as the Panchia. The type was evidently produced in excessively limited number and many have acted as a transition piece. Research indicates that only two known examples have reached public auction before, once in 2015 and another in 2008. The piece offered here gives strong details and a beautiful honey golden color. As NGC notes, there is damage on the piece, the upper portion of the flan shows an unnatural pattern of wear. Despite this flaw, it is sure to drive much attention with its rarity and unique historical position. Sure to be a highlight of all the Indian coinage offered at the New York International Numismatic Convention." Prior to the introduction of milled coinage in 1835, the East India Company struck imitations of local designs, including this one modeled on a Mughal mohur. After annexing Surat in 1800, the mint there was transferred to Bombay. The panchia mentioned above was one third of a mohur. This type was struck in several varieties (KM 214, 242, 244, 246), all with the frozen date of year 46.
Recorded mintage: unknown but rare.
Specification: 11.59 g, gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-1558a; cf.KM-242; cf. Prid-260 (Panchia); Stevens-3.2.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stevens, Paul, The Coins of the English East India Company, Presidency Series: A Catalogue and Pricelist. London, Spink & Son Ltd, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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