The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta Mint: Introduction of Steam, red-brown vulcanite ‘Trial’ Pice in the name of ‘Shah ‘Alam II (1173-1221h/1759-1806), frozen regnal yr 37 [1831], unsigned, sanah julus 37 shah alam badshah [in the 37th year of the emperor Shah ‘Alam], rev. ek pai sikka/yek pai sikka/ek pai sikka [one pai sikka], edge plain, 21mm, 2.00g/8h (Prid. 209 note, this piece; Stevens –; KM. –). Dark fibre, very fine and probably unique £300-£400

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

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Collection

R.J. Ford (Detroit, MI) Collection
SNC (London) April 1982 (3315), ticket.

Owner’s ticket.

This intriguing piece poses many questions, not least about its physical content, which is unlikely to have had use in a numismatic context before c. 1890. Dick Ford showed it to Fred Pridmore who noted it in his book, but in later discussions with Pridmore about the coin the cataloguer was left in no doubt that he considered it a fabrication