Indian Antiquary Vol 24

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 28

24
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1895.
conformably to the then popular monetary system of India, was superseded in 1755, by the introduction of the one and two royaliner. The change was, however, only nominal, the value of the royalin continuing to be nearly equal to one-eighth of a rupee. In 1816 a retorn was made to the old nomenclature fanos, which continued till 1818, from which year, the Danish Mint ceased to coin silver.
So far as we know, there were no Indo-Danish gold fanams, and the only gold coin that appears to have been struck was the pagoda of Christian VII. :
Obv.-The crowned monogram of the king (i on a granulated surface. Rev. - An Indian idol.
From the description given of it in the accompanying list of the Copenhagen Collection, it appears that the pagoda of Christian VII. must have resembled in appearance and size the earlier variety of the Star Pagoda (Pulivaráhan) of the English East India Company.
Another gold coin is mentioned in the Copenhagen Royal Coin Cabinet Catalogue :Obv.-The crowned monogram of the king .
Rev. the Persian initial, of Haidar, so familiar to collectors of Mysore coins of the Muhammadan Usurpation period.
This coin is of very great interest, as tending to shew that the Danish power in the East did hoinage to the Mysore Usurper, consistently with the unambitious policy of peace adopted by them in their dealings with the dominant Indian Powers.
We now append a list of the Indo-Danish coins in the Royal Coin Cabinet, Denmark, probably the largest known collection of these coins. The list was furnished in March 1884, by Mr. C.F. Herbert, Inspector of the Royal Coin Cabinet at Copenhagen, to the late Lieut.-General Pearse, who kindly placed at our disposal his notes on Indo. Danish coins, including the list. Both have been of material help in the preparation of this paper.
Coins of the Danish Colony in East India (Tranquebar). (B. signifies the work Beskrivelse over danske Mynter og Medailler i den Kgl Samling. Kjöbenhavn, 1791, in folio, in which many of the coins are engraved.)
Christian IV., 1588-1648.
Lead, 1. Obv. - The king's crowned cipher, C.
Rev.-T.R. CAS, 1644 (Tranquebar cash). Obv.- As No. 1.
Rev. -Cas. 3. Obv.- As No. 1. Rev. – THS (B. Tab. XXV. No. 32).
Frederick III., 1648-1670.
Copper. 1. Obv. - The king's crowned cipher: beneath CAS, 1667.
Rev. - The Norse Lion. 2. Similar, but without yoar and of smaller size (B. Tab. XXI. 13).
Lead. All with the same obverse: crowned F. 3. 3. Rev. - A lion and nine hearts (arms of Cimbria). 4. Rev. - A swan and S. (arms of Stormorn). 5. Rev. - A Lamb of God (arms of Gothia).