

i . 



Vol. X, No. 5.] Numismatic Supplement No. XXII. 157 



[N.8.] 



It is probable that the mint had not been closed for long, 

 as we have both Peshwa's and Gaik war's coinage for the year 

 1232 a.h., but the fact that the supply of currency was short, 

 need not be doubted. 



Mr, Dunlop was then responsible for the issue of the silver 

 coins dated 1233 a.h. (181« a.d.) and onwards. The abandon- 

 ment by him of the ankush and the adoption of the conven- 

 tional rose in its stead need not be dwelt upon in this place, 

 as mintmarks are being dealt with under a separate and 

 subsequent section. 



Government of Bombay records show how the standard of 

 sikkais were fixed. Mr. Dunlop mentions the standard fixed 

 by Shelukar (Abu Shelukar, the Peshwa's governor) expelled 

 by the Gaikwar in Samvat 1849 (1793 a.d., 1207-08 a.h.) 

 according to which we now coin." The Bomba^y Assay 

 Master in 1819 specially complimented the Collector of Ah mad a- 

 bad (Mr. Dunlop) on the close adherence to a uniform standard 

 both of weight and purity. The mean standard which the 

 Assay Master accepts is of weight 181 grains and of touch 

 (percentage of pure silver) 85*25. It is interesting to notice 

 the amount of variation considered as reasonable, Mr. 

 Dunlop's heaviest average coin for one month weighed 1S2 

 grains, touch 85-25, and his lightest 180*25, touch 85'5— a varia- 

 tion either way of about 1 grain as regards weight and negligi- 

 ble as regards touch. 



Mr. Dunlop also states that " the siccas of those days " 

 (m 1788 a.d.) " were worth intrinsically f % more " than those 

 following Shelukar's standard. 



In addition to the silver coinage, Mr. Dunlop obtained 

 permission in 1818 to coin 100 maunds of copper. The shroffs 

 had been making a corner in copper coin and earning large 

 profits. A new issue was greatly in demand. 



Mr. Dunlop ascertained that the normal rate of exchange 

 for copper coin was 60 pice to the rupee. He fixed the ex- 

 hange for the sake of convenience (for divisions into annas 

 apparently) at 64 pice to the rupee. The coins he issued are 

 obviously those dated from 12—1234 to 14—1236, which have 

 puzzled so many authorities. 



The weight of the new coin was determined apparently by 

 weighing 60 or a rupee's worth of old pice, which were found 

 to amount to a seer of 40 rupees weight. The new pice were 

 therefore coined at 64 to the seer. 



, This gives the weight of the old pice at 120§ gr. and the 

 weight of the new pice at iI3| gr. But in point of fact, what 

 1 take Mr. Dunlop to mean by the old pice, i.e. the recently 

 ls * ued Maratha pice (type B, p. 159) weigh from 127—118 grs. : 

 « grs. is, however, not an uncommon weight and great exacti- 

 tude in copper coins is not to be expected. The weights of the 

 new pice/ 5 i.e. those of type C (p. 160) range from 121 



