The Bombay Presidency's coinage of 1799 was issued under the authority of the East India Company at a moment when the Company was consolidating military and administrative control across the subcontinent — Tipu Sultan fell at Seringapatam that same year. The fractional rupee denominations were minted primarily for use in bazaar transactions and soldier pay, where small silver was chronically short.
Prid 298 cross-references this type to the Pridmore classification of EIC coinage, the standard reference for Presidency issues. Dies for Bombay fractions were often reused aggressively, making sharp, unworn examples difficult to locate.
The Bombay Presidency's coinage of 1799 was issued under the authority of the East India Company at a moment when the Company was consolidating military and administrative control across the subcontinent — Tipu Sultan fell at Seringapatam that same year. The fractional rupee denominations were minted primarily for use in bazaar transactions and soldier pay, where small silver was chronically short.
Prid 298 cross-references this type to the Pridmore classification of EIC coinage, the standard reference for Presidency issues. Dies for Bombay fractions were often reused aggressively, making sharp, unworn examples difficult to locate.