Portuguese India 1881 rupia
This specimen was lot 42414 in Stack's Bowers Winter sale (Baltimore, November 2015), where it sold for $499.38. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. Portuguese India. Rupia, 1881. NGC MS-63. Choice for the grade. Lustrous surfaces with medium tea colored tone accentuating the legends and hair." This specimen is from a three year type struck for the Portuguese colonies in India. Once extensive, Portuguese dominions had dwindled by the 1800's to the enclaves of Goa, Diu and Damao. Issues up to 1952 were based on the rupee (1 rupia = 16 tanga) and struck at the British controlled mints of Bombay and Calcutta. The year 1881 saw the only complete series of silver minted, including the eighth, quarter, half and one rupia (shown here).
Recorded mintage: 1,763,000 for 1881-82.
Specification: 11.66 g, 0.917 fine silver, .343 troy oz ASW, reeded edge, 30.8 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-312, Gomes-14.01.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Alberto Gomes and Francisco Antonio Magro, Moedas Portuguesas e do Território Que Hoje é Portugal: Catálogo das Moedas Cunhadas para o Continentes e Ilhas Adjacentes, para os Territórios do Ultramar e Grão-Mestres Portugueses da Ordem de Malta, 6ª Edição, Lisbon: Associação Numismática de Portugal, 2013.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, and Todd McKenna, The November 2015 Baltimore Auction, World Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Ray Czabor Collection and selections from the Strong Museum, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2015.
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