2020-02-12 Wed

18th November 1840 proclamation by the East India Company (EIC) to issue a new one rupee started the long tenure of Queen Victoria/Victoria Empress coins in India. The Calcutta mint started minting these coins from November 1840, whereas; Bombay and Madras mint issued these coins after April 1841.

The obverse of these 1840 coins (rupees and fractions) bears the bust of Queen Victoria facing towards left. East India Company continued to strike these coins with and without initials at truncation with "VICTORIA QUEEN" as a continuous legend. The new coins issued are known as ‘divided legend type’ and these were designed by William Wyon. The Calcutta mint issued these coins in the year 1850, whereas Bombay and Madras mint issued these coins from 1851 with the date "1840". Fractions are found with other dates in divided legend types.

Image Courtesy: Todywalla Auction