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Counterstamped Rupee Victoria
| Issuer | Obock Territory (1862-1896) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1862-1896 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Indian Rupee (1885-1943) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central denomination 'ONE RUPEE' and its Urdu equivalent 'یک روپیہ' (Yek Rupiya) displayed within a floral wreath. The outer legend 'EAST INDIA COMPANY' runs along the upper periphery between two decorative ornaments, with the date '1840' appearing in the lower exergue below the wreath. The design reflects the East India Company coinage style typical of the pre-Crown rule period. |
| Reverse script | Latin, Urdu |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Obock was a French-administered coaling station on the Gulf of Tadjoura, acquired in 1862 but largely ignored until the 1880s when Léonce Lagarde pushed to develop it as a colonial foothold against British Aden. With no dedicated coinage infrastructure, French authorities sanctioned the counterstamping of circulating Indian rupees — coins already trusted throughout the Red Sea trade network — rather than striking purpose-made issues. The counterstamp was the administration, not the coin.
Obock was superseded by Djibouti after 1888 and formally dissolved into the new Territory of the Afars and Issas, making the window for these counterstamps narrow.