India 1893-B rupee
This specimen was lot 23049 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Las Vegas, August 2020), where it sold for $90. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. British India. Rupee, 1893-B. Bombay Mint. Victoria. NGC MS-62. An attractive Rupee with frosty surfaces, light toning, and little more than minor scuffs in the fields." This type was issued at Calcutta and Bombay 1877-1901 in a bewildering array of varieties, including proofs, off-metal strikes and restrikes. The type is the largest silver denomination. It is distinguished from the type issued 1862-76 by the obverse legend, "VICTORIA EMPRESS" instead of "VICTORIA QUEEN." In the 1890's, the falling price of silver was exerting pressure on the Indian financial system; in a doomed attempt to reverse the slide, the British suspended the production of silver coinage 1894-96 with the exception of the two annas.
Recorded mintage: 69,590,000, a slightly better date.
Specification: 11.66 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-492; S&W-6.135; Prid-182.
- 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The August 2020 ANA Auction: World Coins, featuring the Duke of Lansing Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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