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1/2 Rupee - Victoria
| Issuer | India - British |
|---|---|
| Year | 1877-1899 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Queen Victoria as Empress facing left, wearing the Imperial State Crown adorned with crosses, fleurs-de-lis, and jewels, with her hair dressed in an elaborate coiffure. A pearl necklace is visible at the neck, and the garment is richly decorated with foliate scrollwork. The peripheral legend VICTORIA EMPRESS is inscribed in raised Latin lettering, divided to either side of the effigy, within a toothed border. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | VICTORIA EMPRESS |
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| Additional information |
This type spans the period when the Government of India Act of 1858 had fully transferred Crown authority from the East India Company, and the Proclamation of Victoria as Empress of India in 1877 — the opening year of this issue — marked the political inflection point the coinage was designed to reflect. The Calcutta and Bombay mints struck these throughout the series, with Bombay issues identifiable by a small dot or "B" mintmark.
The late 1870s also coincided with a collapse in global silver prices that would eventually doom the fixed exchange rate between the rupee and sterling, culminating in the closure of Indian mints to free silver coinage in 1893.