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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Jimski, post: 2886300, member: 77373&quot;]1797 India Madras Presidency, United East India Company, 1/48 Rupee, Soho Mint.&nbsp; This coin shares the same wide rim design of the 1997 British coppers, but is much lower in weight than the penny (13g vs. 28g).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]692870[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse of this coin shows the merchant’s mark of the United East India Company.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]692871[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Following is the history behind this merchant’s mark, and the “united” in the title.</p><p><br /></p><p>From: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant%27s_mark" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant%27s_mark" rel="nofollow"><i>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant%27s_mark</i></a></p><p><i>When the East India Company was chartered by Elizabeth I, Queen of England in 1600 it was still customary for each merchant or Company of Merchant Adventurers to have a distinguishing mark which included the &quot;Sign of Four&quot; and served as a trademark. The East India Company&#039;s mark was made up from a &#039;+&#039;, a &#039;4&#039; and the initials EIC. ... </i>{the &quot;+&quot; doesn&#039;t appear on the mark by the time of this coinage}</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>The &quot;Sign of Four&quot; was an outgrowth of an ancient symbol adopted by the Romans and by Christianity, Chi Rho (XP)</i>{☧}<i>, standing for the first two letters of Christus in Greek letters; this was simplified to a reversed &quot;4&quot; in Medieval times. </i></p><p>{Below:}<i><i> The Mystical Sign of Four,&nbsp; </i></i></p><p><i><i>[ATTACH=full]692874[/ATTACH] </i></i></p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p><i><i>To manage the risks of piracy or shipwreck, merchants often consigned a cargo to several vessels or caravans; a mark on a bale established legal ownership and avoided confusion. Early travellers, voyagers and merchants displayed their merchant&#039;s marks as well to ward off evil. Adventurous travellers and sailors ascribed the terrors and perils of their life to the wrath of the Devil. To counter these dangers merchants employed all sorts of religious and magical means to place their caravans, ships and merchandise under the protection of God and His Saints.</i></i></p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p>Why the United in the company title?&nbsp; The original EIC was chartered in 1600 as a joint-stock company.&nbsp; But …</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>&nbsp;From: </i><a href="http://learn.culturalindia.net/brief-history-british-east-india-company-essay.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://learn.culturalindia.net/brief-history-british-east-india-company-essay.html" rel="nofollow"><i>http://learn.culturalindia.net/brief-history-british-east-india-company-essay.html</i></a></p><p><i>In 1694, the House of Commons voted “that all the subjects of England had an equal right to trade to the East Indies unless prohibited by act of Parliament.” Under pressure from wealthy influential tradesmen not associated with the Company. Following this the </i><b><i>English Company Trading to the East Indies</i></b><i> was founded with a state-backed indemnity of £2 million.To maintain financial control over the new company, existing stockholders of the old company paid a hefty sum of £315,000. ...&nbsp;&nbsp; The new company was ultimately absorbed by the old East India Company in 1708. </i><b><i>A tripartite venture was established between the state, the old and the new trading companies</i></b><i> under the banner of</i><b><i> <u>United</u> Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies </i></b>{i.e. UEIC, later EIC}.</p><p><br /></p><p>{The “united” was later dropped from the name and the merchant’s mark. The company title dropped the “United” by the coining of the 1808 10 cash of India Madras Presidency (Admiral Gardner coinage). }</p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p><i><i>&nbsp;</i></i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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