India 1870 5 rupees
This specimen was lot 1569 in Stack's "Vermuele, Ward & Mexico Maxico" sale (New York, January 2010), where it sold for $2,300. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. Victoria, Queen, 1837-1876. Restrike 5 Rupees, 1870 CM. Youthful crowned bust l. Rv. 4-line inscription in ornate floral border. Restruck during the 1960's by the Indian Mint. Deep yellow-gold surfaces boost the appeal of a forceful strike. PL-64 (NGC). From the Clinton Sherwood Ward Collection; purchased privately from Toivo Johnson." The five and ten rupee issues never seem to have progressed beyond the pattern stage; the important gold denomination was the mohur or fifteen rupees.
Recorded mintage: 13,000 original issue plus an unknown number of restrikes.
Specification: 3.88 g, .917 gold, .114 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 474.
- 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.
- [1]Kraljevich, John, and Frank Van Valen, The Vermuele, Ward & Mexico Maxico Collections, New York: Stack's, 2009.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stevens, Paul, and Randy Weir, The Uniform Coinage of India, 1835 to 1947, A Catalogue and Pricelist, London, Spink & Son Ltd, 2012.
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