The 1911 rupee marks the first year of George V's coinage in India, issued the same year as the Delhi Durbar that formally proclaimed him Emperor. The Calcutta and Bombay mints both struck this type, distinguished by mint marks that collectors treat as distinct issues. KM#523 specifically covers the Calcutta output, which carried no mint mark.
Notably, the effigy used on this first year was almost immediately controversial — the king's portrait was considered unflattering by the court, earning the issue the nickname "pig rupee" among collectors, a reference to a perceived resemblance in the truncation. The design was revised the following year.
The 1911 rupee marks the first year of George V's coinage in India, issued the same year as the Delhi Durbar that formally proclaimed him Emperor. The Calcutta and Bombay mints both struck this type, distinguished by mint marks that collectors treat as distinct issues. KM#523 specifically covers the Calcutta output, which carried no mint mark.
Notably, the effigy used on this first year was almost immediately controversial — the king's portrait was considered unflattering by the court, earning the issue the nickname "pig rupee" among collectors, a reference to a perceived resemblance in the truncation. The design was revised the following year.