Here's a few examples of coinage from French India. These ones were all minted at Pondicherry. The first is a 1/5th Rupee issued for Mahe in 1750 (KM67). The very prominent `P' designates it as being from Pondicherry mint The second is an example of a KM57 copper `doudou' from 1837 The third is an example of a KM35 copper `doudou'. This very successful type coinage was issued between 1720 and 1835 which is quite a long period for a coin type to remain in circulation. Not exactly a brilliant uncirculated example, but it's the only one i've got... so there! The fourth is a `half doudou' (KM34). Same circulation period as the `doudou' above.
Ian, these coins were very much available a couple of years before, but now a days I rarely see them with a dealer..particularly the 1837 Doudou. Nice finds...:thumb:
In the Doudou coins, I can read 'Puthuchery ' written in Tamil. Pondichery's real name is 'Puthuchery'. Recently, Pondichery was officially named Puthuchery.
...i'd really like to be able to say that I could read `Puthuchery' on the coins too..... but until someone points out to me exactly where it says that, i'd only be fooling myself. By the way, it's great that Puthuchery has finally got its name back! I've never quite understood why some places ended up bearing foreign names in the first place.
Ian,those 'foreign' names are much easier to pronounce.I still refer to the places in India by their old & familiar names.I prefer to say 'Bombay,Madras,& Calcutta' instead of 'Mumbai,Chennai,& Kolkata'. Ian,that is a very nice 1/5 Roupie. Aidan.
If you had been used to calling your main town `Edinburgh', you would probably have a strong dislike to some french chap telling you that it is really called `Edinbourg' just because it better suits their phoenetics. Thus, I can well understand local sentiment in India wanting Puthuchery to be called Puthuchery as opposed to `Pondicherry'......etc. To my senses Mumbai is as easy to say as Bombay. Ian
How about 'Trivandrum' been changed to 'Thiruvananthapuram'? Ian has got it right.. We feel it easier to articulate the native words than the foreign words.. Its a universal phenomenon.. :smile
Ian & Biju,when the British first came to India in the late 17th. Century,they had to find some way of translating from the native Indian languages (of which there are hundreds,I must add!).The English administrators & teachers were obviously unused to hearing the Indian accents mistranscribed things like people's names & placenames down.For example,when they heard the name 'Mumbai',it sounded to the English like 'Bombay'.The some thing occurred in the Kolkata/Calcutta situation. Even now,some Indians still refer to Mumbai as 'Bombay',Chennai as 'Madras',& Kolkata as 'Calcutta',especially when speaking in English. The only numismatic items that were issued after 1850 in French India were the banknotes denominated in Roupies.Some of them are also inscribed in English as well. Aidan.
To English speakers it is 'Egypt', to Arabic speakers it is 'misr', which is how it is written on the coinage. Just thought I'd throw that in. Interesting coins, the design elements of the doudous could hardly be mistaken for anything but French origins.
Those are nice Indo-French coins from colonial period. On silver 1/5 rupee, the mintname on reverse is also written in Persian as 'Pondicherry'. The 'Rooster' doudou coin is scarce as not very many were survived and the one which survived were heavily circulated. The date on this is barely visible and you must have spend some good time reading that date. Have fun! Regards Ballabh Garg
Ballabh,the word 'Doudou' is also derived from 'Dudu',which is also a denomination as well.The Dudu was the nickname for the Madras Presidency hammered 10 Cash coin that was struck at various times between 1755 & 1806 as part of the Pagoda currency system. Aidan.
Musham,welcome aboard.This is for discussing coins of French India,not a place for placing ads for them. Aidan.
No, I didn't. The French first settled Pondicherry in 1683 (I think), so any Danish influenced coinage must have been prior to that. Is there a specific means of identifying coins minted for the Danish Asiatic Company in Pondicherry as opposed to minted elsewhere? Ian
Here are few additional Indo-French coins 1/2 Fanon or 1 Royalin: 1 Rupee, Arcot mint dated RY26 (in name of Mughal king Muhammad Shah) 1 Rupee, Arcot mint dated RY44 (in name of Mughal king Shah Alam II) Regards Ballabh Garg
Ballabh,how do you distinguish between the British Indian & non-British Indian issues inscribed 'Arcot' in Arabic? I can't tell the difference. Aidan.
The Britsih issues from arcot mint have a small mint mark which looks like open lotus. So, all arcot mint coins with 'Open Lotus' symbol is treated as British issue under Madras Presidedncy. Without this additional mark, they are Indo-French issues. I will try to scan few Madras Presidency coins from arcot mint with open lotus symbol and will post tomorrow. Regards Ballabh Garg
Ballabh,you can post the Madras Presidency ones in the other section.Thanks for clarifying the differences. Aidan.
