The Uniform Coinage of India, British Imperial Period, Edward VII, silver Rupee, 1903, Calcutta, uncrowned bust right, edward vii king & emperor, rev. one rupee india, yek rupiya flanked by sprays of lotus flowers, five diamonds below rupiya, three of which are overstruck on pellets, crown above, date below, edge grained, 11.65g/12h (Prid. 189 [Sale, lot 130]; SW 7.15; KM. 508; cf. Fore III, 2422). Good extremely fine, light toning over considerable mint bloom £150-£200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Puddester Collection.

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Owner’s envelope.

As authorities at the India Office and the Royal Mint in London were dissatisfied with patterns produced by the Calcutta mint engraver F.K. Wezel in the summer of 1901 (see Lots 1640-1), and officials in England and India could not agree, alternative designs were produced. Eventually a compromise was reached whereby the uncrowned head of the new monarch would be paired with a new reverse chosen by the India Office and approved by Edward in April 1902. Matrices and punches were sent to Calcutta in July 1902, but both were found unsuitable and new obverse matrices had to be prepared in September, on which the legend was divided around the king’s head, before coinage of rupees could commence. The first of the new coins entered circulation on 1 January 1903