A Rare Silver 1½ Pagoda Coin from the Madras Presidency
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| 1½ Pagoda Coin |
The silver 1½ Pagoda coin is a rare and valuable piece of Indian numismatic history. It was constructed between 1808 and 1812 AD in the Madras Presidency, a colony of the British East India Company in southern India. The coin is made of silver and weighs approximately 20.5 grams. Its diameter is about 30 millimeters.
Coin Specification:
1. Name: Silver 1½ Pagoda
2. Domination: 1½ Pagoda
3. Metal: Silver
4. Year: 1808 to 1812 AD
5. Weight: 20.5 grams
6. diameter: 30 millimeters
7. Mint mark: Madras Presidency mint
8. Available: Very Rare
Obverse side:
The coin's obverse features the value in English and Persian, "ONE AND HALF PAGODA," within a buckled garter surrounded by 18 stars.
Reverse side:
The reverse of the coin features the value in Tamil (" ஒன்றரை பகோடா ") and Telugu ("రెండున్నర పావలా"), as well as an image of the Hindu god Vishnu seated on his throne, Garuda. Vishnu has four arms, each holding a different object: a conch shell, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower.
Coin Printed in Madras Presidency:
Long ago, in 1644, a place called Madras (now Chennai) was important to a company called the British East India Company. They wanted to trade there, so they got permission to set up a place to do business. Over time, they got more land in the south of India. By the early 1800s, this area was called the Madras Presidency, and it was really big, stretching from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea.
During this time, people used coins to buy things and pay taxes. One of the coins they used was called a silver 1½ Pagoda. It was just one type of coin made in the Madras Presidency.
Coins Value:
If the coin is in very good condition, it is likely to be worth quite a lot. In August 2023, a similar coin sold for 145,000 Indian rupees (about $1,745) at a Classic Numismatic Gallery auction.
More Information:
Here are some additional details about the coin that you may find interesting:
The coin is made of .917 silver.
The mint mark on the coin is a star.
The KM number of the coin is 353.
How to determine the value of your coins:
If you want to know more about the special One-and-a-Half Pagoda coin or other coins from a place called Madras Presidency, ask a coin expert called a numismatist. If you have a coin that you think might be worth a lot of money, it's important to have it checked by a numismatist. They can look at your coin and tell you how rare and special it is.