Tripura SE1582 1/4 rupee
This specimen was lot 43158 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $2,400. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. Tripura. 1/4 Rupee, SE 1582 (1660). Govinda Manikya. PCGS MS-64. The only example certified on either the NGC or PCGS population reports. The near-Gem example displays satiny luster with boldly struck devices. The high points are a bit brighter offering a nice contrast to the lustrous surfaces. A pleasing high grade example that should be considered VERY RARE in this elite state of preservation." The SCWC comments, "The coins of Tripura are unusual in that the majority have the name of the king together with that of his queen, and is the only coinage in the world where this was done consistently. In common with most other Hindu coinages of northeast India, the coins bear fixed dates. Usually the date was that of the coronation ceremony...." The Tripura kingdom existed before the coming of the Mughals in the sixteenth century. The Mughals managed to seize the flat part of the kingdom but were never able to penetrate the hill districts. The British established a protectorate over the kingdom in 1809. They called the state "Hill Tipperah" to distinguish it from a district in Bengal state called plain "Tipperah". Altho surrounded to the north, west and south by Bangladesh, it is still today part of India.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 2.6 g, silver.
Catalog reference: KM-133.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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