India 1911(c) 1/2 rupee
This specimen was lot 905 in Stephen Album sale 41 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2021), where it sold for $13,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "BRITISH INDIA: George V, 1910-1936, AR ½ rupee, 1911(c), with the so-called "pig"-style elephant, proof restrike, PCGS graded Proof 63. On the coin, the king appeared wearing the chain of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire. Because of poor engraving, the elephant looked very much like a pig. The Muslim population was enraged and the image had to be quickly redesigned." This inaugural rupee of George V shows the king wearing the Order of the Elephant. This animal was interpreted as a pig, to the outrage of sensitive Hindus and Muslims. As a result, about 95% were melted and struck into 1912's and 1913's. The redesigned half rupee was never minted in the immense numbers of the George V rupees but it is not rare, being struck steadily 1912-30, 1933-36. The minting of rupees effectively ceased after 1922.
Recorded mintage: 2,293,000 + proofs.
Specification: 5.83 g, 0.917 fine silver, .172 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM-518, S&W-8.62.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th 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]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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