Britain’s Queen Victoria was the Empress of India from 1876 until 1901, but Indian coins featuring her bust began in the first year of her reign as queen, 1837. Having succeeded her uncle, William IV, Victoria’s reign remains the longest by a female monarch in history, and it occurred during a time of great change in India. For these reasons, Victorian collectible Indian coins represent a major part of modern Indian coin collecting.
Denominations
Denominations of Indian coins made by Britain during Victoria’s reign include:
1/12 anna
1/2 pice
1/4 anna
1/2 anna
2 annas
1/4 rupee
1/2 rupee
1 rupee
5 rupees
10 rupees
1 mohur
Beginning in 1862, milled coinage began to be issued, comprising the bulk of Victorian Indian coinage. Note that rupees in silver and in gold were used; mohurs were generally gold, though copper and bronze varieties exist.
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Queen Victoria died in 1901, and her son, Edward VII, became emperor of India, at which time the coins changed again. There is a huge variety of Victorian coins for India, and a countless number of ways to go about collecting them. The coins from this extremely important time in British and Indian history help tell the story of a colonial relationship in transition.