Modern Coins in Ancient Style

Tour images are really blurry TG.

 

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Mysore's puppet king, Krishnaraja Wodeyar III AV Fanam
Early 19th century, roughly contemporary with US Capped Bust coinage


Chinese empire, Puyi, contemporary to the first few million wheat pennies

(Sorry about the orientation)

 

Mysore: Krishna Raja Wodeyar, 1799-1868.
Æ 10 Cash, 18mm, 4.4g, 12h.
Obv.: Lion to the left with right paw upraised, sun, moon and stars above; date 1833 below; linear border.
Rev.: ಕೃಷ್ಣ (Krishna) and ضرب میسور (Struck at Mysore) on the field; ಮಯಿಲಿ ಕಾಸು ೧೦ (Mayili Kasu 10); linear border.
Reference: C#191.2




Krishna Raja Wodeyar, 1799-1868
Æ 20 Cash, 22mm, 9.1g, 6h.
Obv.: Lion to the left with right paw upraised; Kannada legend above - ಶ್ರೀ ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ (Sri Chamundi) with sun and moon between ಶ್ರೀ (Sri); date 1834 below the lion; dotted border.
Rev.: ಕೃಷ್ಣ (Krishna) and ضرب میسور (Struck at Mysore) on the field; ಮಯಿಲಿ ಕಾಸು ೨೦ (Mayili Kasu 20) , MEILEE XX CASH in margin; dotted border.
Reference: C#193.2

 

INDIA, Mysore, Tipu Sultan, 1782-1799
Æ 1/2 Paisa, 16x19mm, 5.4g, 12h; Bangalore mint, AD 1790/1
Obv.: Elephant right, date above: 1218 (Mauludi Calendar).
Rev.: Zarb Bangalore on a field ornamented with dotted rosettes, within a circle; dotted border.
Reference: Henderson 368, p. 89, same dies.




INDIA, Mysore, Tipu Sultan, 1782-1799
Æ 1 Paisa, 18mm, 5.6g, 12h; Patan mint.
Obv.: Elephant right, 1 above.
Rev.: Zarb Patan (Minted in Patan), 1221 (= AD 1792/3).
Reference: Taylor, George. The Coins of Tipu Sultan. Plate 2, #6.

 

Finally found my picture.

It's crazy to think about how late hammered coins were still being produced in India. The Bundi rupees are among my favorites, mainly for the silly, lopsided English lettering, and because they are all dated. They prided themselves on their well-made Katars (push daggers) which feature on all coins after Victoria chose one to be displayed at her 1886 Golden Jubilee. The mint was shut down in 1932, and never made modern milled or machined coins. This one dates to 1925.



Obv: GEORGE V EMPEROR around Katar
Rev: BUNDI RAMA SINGHA 1982 (in Devanagari)

Think about it: there are people alive today who probably used these coins as a child!

 

That's an exceptionally nice example too. As you probably know, most of them are much cruder.

 

Yeah, I got this one from @John Anthony JUST for the very reason of his OP!


Bhutan
Æ 1/2 rupee (Deb); 21mm, 4.8g, 6h; Period III, 1835-1910
Obv.: Geometric pattern
Reverse.: Geometric pattern with letter sa.
Reference: KM 7.1

From the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, George S. Cuhaj, Thomas Michael...

The kingdom of Bhutan, a landlocked Himalayan country bordered by Tibet and India, has an area of 18,150 sq. mi. Capital: Thimphu. Virtually the entire population is engaged in agricultural and pastoral activities. Rice, wheat, barley, and yak butter are produced in sufficient quantity to make the country self-sufficient in food. The economy of Bhutan is primitive, and many transactions are conducted on a barter basis.

Bhutan’s early history is obscure, but is thought to have resembled that of rural medieval Europe. The country was conquered by Tibet in the 9th century, and a dual temporal spiritual rule developed which operated until the mid 19th-century, when the southern part of the country was occupied by the British and annexed to British India. Bhutan was established as a hereditary monarchy in 1907, and in 1910 agreed to British control of its affairs.

Here is a brass 1/2 rupee or Deb of the period 1835-1910 - these modern hammered issues cannot be dated more specifically. A wonderful, well-struck, clean example of the type. Catalogs describe the coins as having “geometric patterns.” I would love to know something more about their meaning, but so far I’ve come up empty-handed.

 

I always pick up "modern" coins that were produced in old school ways when I get a chance. Here are few fairly recently coins ...


This is a cast coin...



Morocco, 4 Falus, 1871 (AH 1288)

Cast bronze, 27 mm, 11.1 g, km c# 166.1

Some other's I've picked up in the last year or so, they are all mid to late 19th century.

Afghanistan, 1878 rupee..




...and a couple from India.





INDIA, French Pondicherry

Æ Doudou, 16mm, 4.0g, 12h; c. AD 1720-1837 Obv.: Fleur de lis. Rev.: 3-line Tamil legend, naming the mint: Pu du / ch e r / i Reference: KM 35



INDIA, ELICHPUR (HYDERABAD FEUDATORY): Copper paisa. Mid 19th century.

O: Lion left, R: legend. 18 mm, 11.1 g.

 

I'll need to dig it back out, but one of those Moroccan fals was actually one of the first coins I ever identified. My grandfather bought it in a junk bin as a teenager in the 40s, and I was convinced it was from the year 1212 (actually 1272). It was years later when I figured it out, and I was so disappointed that 1272 AH is roughly 1855! It is much more crude and genuinely looks ancient.

@Alegandron I believe those Burmese 1/2 rupees are actually supposed to be inscribed on both sides. They are descended from the silver 1/2 rupees of Cooch Behar:
https://www.marudhararts.com/e-auct...rupee-of-upendra-narayan-of-cooch-behar-.html

I haven't felt like picking one of those up (I try to stick to rupees only for my own sanity) but I do have this one which, minted in 1555 kinda-sorta qualifies for this thread:

 

Thanks @Finn235 ! Got this on a whim, and never drilled down. I see Bhutan is just north of Cooch Behar, so that makes a lot of sense. I appreciate the direction.

I have been close to Bhutan a couple times, but never went on to go there. Unfortunately, when you are on bidness trips, you cannot digress as much as you would like to!

I picked up some Bhutan and Tibetan religious chants CDs during one of my trips into Western China. Maybe I can see if some of the script is similar. Of course if I want to get motivated, I could look up the language of Bhutan... but, this is my only coin of theirs.

 

Late to the game....here is one of my many hammered modern era coins
AV Pagoda ND struck circa 1740-1807
Fort St. George Mint
British East India Company/ Madras Presidency

 

This gold fanam looks like it could be an ancient coin (really < 300 years old - or possibly a modern counterfeit)
Obv: Degenerate Kali with the Tanjore rosette on the breast
Rev: Blank
6mm, 0.4 grams.
Tuticorin mint

I personally like the way the edges of this coin look up close.