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1/2 Anna
| Issuer | East India Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1834 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The armorial shield of the East India Company is displayed prominently in the central field, featuring the quartered arms with the cross of St. George. The shield is surmounted by a heraldic crest and flanked by supporters, with a ribbon below bearing the Latin motto AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIAE. A circular legend reading EAST INDIA COMPANY runs along the periphery, with the date 1834 positioned beneath the shield. The entire design is contained within a raised plain rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A pair of balanced scales is depicted in the central field, symbolising justice and equitable trade, with the denomination HALF ANNA inscribed above in Latin script. Between the pans of the scales, the Arabic word عدل (Adil, meaning 'just' or 'fair') appears in Persian script. The Hijri date ١٢٤٩ (AH 1249, corresponding to 1834 CE) is placed below the scales. The design is enclosed within a raised plain rim. |
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| Additional information |
The 1834 issue falls within the East India Company's post-Proclamation coinage reform, driven by the need to rationalize a chaotic patchwork of local currencies across the Presidencies. The Company's Court of Directors had pushed for a unified coinage since the 1820s, and this series — minted in England at Soho and later at the Company's Calcutta facilities — was the direct result. It circulated alongside dozens of competing local issues it was intended to replace, a transition that took far longer in practice than Parliament had anticipated.