India 1896-C 1/2 rupee
The first specimen was lot 609 in Sincona sale 69 (Zürich, May 2021), where it sold for 600 CHF (about US$796 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA | British India, Victoria 1837-1901. 1/2 Rupee 1896, Calcutta. NGC MS62." The second specimen was lot 2411 in Stephen Album sale 41 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2021), where it sold for $360. The catalog description[2] noted, "BRITISH INDIA: Victoria, Empress, 1876-1901, AR ½ rupee, 1896-C, Type A bust, Type I reverse, EF-AU." 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 not rare but is infrequently seen compared to the silver rupee. It is distinguished from the type issued 1862-76 by the obverse legend, "VICTORIA EMPRESS" instead of "VICTORIA QUEEN."
Recorded mintage: 2,114,000.
Specification: 5.83 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 491.
- 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]Jürg Richter, Auction 69, World Coins and Medals, Bullion Auction and Chinese Banknotes, Part 1, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2021.
- [2]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 41, featuring the Dick Nanta Collection of Giray Khans, Part II, the Charles Opitz Collection of Ethnographic Money, Part II, and the Allan F. Pacela Collection of Chinese Coins. Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2021.
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