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1 Cash - Frederik III
| Issuer | Danish East India Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1650 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cash (1 Kas) (1⁄80) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse bears a crudely rendered Latin inscription filling the entire flan in large, bold lettering. The monogram or abbreviated legend reads 'D.B' at the top, referencing Dansborg, the Danish fort at Tranquebar, with the date '1650' occupying the lower portion of the field. The characters are deeply incused and somewhat irregular in form, consistent with the hammered production technique employed for these low-denomination lead cash coins. Small circular pellets or stops punctuate the inscription. The flat, plain edge and irregular planchet are typical features of this colonial issue. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | D.B 1650 (Translation: Dansborg) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The Danish East India Company's Tranquebar settlement on the Coromandel Coast operated its own local coinage largely because Indian bazaar trade at that scale demanded small-denomination metal tokens that Danish silver was simply too valuable to fulfill. Lead cash of this type circulated alongside Dutch, Portuguese, and local South Indian issues in the same markets. The company's Tranquebar mint was one of the very few European colonial operations in Asia issuing lead coinage rather than copper.
Frederik III had been on the Danish throne less than two years when this piece was struck, having acceded in 1648 following Christian IV's death after a reign of nearly six decades.