Oct. — dec. 1856.] Notes on Indian Currencies. 49 



Accordingly in the charter granted by Charles II. to the E. I. 

 i ppjrj « ~ Company in 1677, besides having their old privi- 



10/ 1 A. 1). 



leges confirmed to them, authority was granted 

 them to coin money (not resembling British money) at Bombay 

 and other places in India, with respect to which Mr. Kayes says, 

 (p. 71) — " The establishment of a mint had long before been re- 

 " commended to the Company by their servants abroad ; and it 

 44 had been much considered and discussed but had never before 

 " taken practical shape. It was now however actually to pass in- 

 " to a fact by the express permission of the crown. The Company 

 u regarded it simply as an instrument of trade but their servants 

 " five and twenty years before had been looking at the matter of a 

 44 Tankshali'* in the Deccan in connexion with the question of war. 



" The Factors at ilajapore, recommending the Company to coin 

 44 money, wrote in 1659 " For your worships may please^ to know 

 44 that all these artificial mines of money which were made in time 

 44 of peace are now exhausted through a civil war — will it not be 

 44 necessary to have a Tankshall in the Deccan and a coin that will 

 44 be current to carry on a trade here, as large as you please during 

 " your war with India and which will continue no longer than you 

 44 please ? — Then judge if you would not make the Tankshall 

 " cry as mournful to the king of India's ears as the liver, the 

 44 fountain of the blood, should complain in a natural body, and 

 44 then what conditions you may bring him to is easy to foretell." 



Many years would naturally elapse before the Company's coin- 

 age took an important part in the general circulating power of 

 the country. Each district wedded to its own currency would rea- 

 sonably be jealous of a foreign coin, and resist its introduction at 

 any rate at first. It was probably far into the 18th century be- 

 fore the Company's coinage took its place among the other cur- 

 rencies of the country and performed a material part of the duty 

 of circulation. 



Mr. Dillon in his 44 East Indies" speaking of the natives in 

 1698 A D ' Malabar alludes to the currency of that part of the 

 world in 169 8, 44 To every one of these natives you 



* From two Sanscrit words signifying a coin and a hall. 



G 



