Kutch VS 1914 25 kori
The Indian Princely State of Kutch is located in a flat expanse of salt marshlands on the western border of India along the Arabian Sea. To the west is the Pakistani province of Sind. Though Kutch never could support a large population nor was endowed with natural resources, it remained a power due to its navy and notoriety as a transport hub for pilgrimage to Mecca. Partly due to its geographic isolation, Kutch was able to maintain a unique coinage system from its beginnings through to independence from the British in 1947. The first Kutch coins were modelled after those of Nawanagar, from which Kutch officially gained its autonomy in 1617 AD. This was also the year that Kutch obtained the rights to produce coinage in the name of its own rulers. This specimen was lot 23037 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $408. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. Kutch. 25 Kori, VS 1914 (1857). Bhuj Mint. Desalji II. PCGS AU-58 Gold Shield. A rather sharp example, with some scattered light deposits and minor handling, but otherwise pleasing and featuring a golden-orange tone." It is a member of the fourth series of koris, which honors the new Mogul emperor Bahadur Shah II. It is dated VS 1914 (1857 AD); the type was struck VS 1911-1915. In VS 1915, Bahadur Shah II was deposed by the British.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.68 g, 0.999 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-1276; KM-C67.
- Bright, Richard, The Coinage of Kutch, Dallas, TX: Numismatics International, 1975.
- 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2020 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
Link to: