52 Notes on Indian Currencies. [no. 1, new series, 



" the years in which they were coined ; that is to say the impres- 

 " sion bore that they were struck in such a year of the reigning 



1773 AD " Kin g of Dellli ' and after circulatin g 4 or 5 years 

 " they suffered a depreciation whether they had lost 

 " weight or not, being reckoned Sonat Rupees, that is, Rupees " of 

 " years." These with several other coins continued to circulate at 

 " different rates of discount, and accounts were kept in a nominal 

 " coin called the current Rupee, which was probably taken at the 

 " rate of 116 to the 100 Sicca Rupees to represent the average of 

 " the currency actually in circulation. The first step to reform, 

 " was a resolution that all Rupees coined in future should bear 

 " the impression of the 19th year* of the reign of Shah Allum, 

 " and so put an end to the arbitrary distinction previously made to 



M _ . , " the coinage of different years : and in 1792 — 3 A. D. 

 1792— 3 A. D. & J > ■ 



" the Sicca Rupee was by the rules contained m Reg. 



" 35 of the Bengal code rendered the only legal silver currency 



" for the provinces of Bengal, Baharand Orissa — The Sonat Rupee 



" is still used in the military accounts and is considered equivalent 



" to the Ferruckabad, Madras and Bombay Rupees. Since 



" 1793 all other Rupees but the Sicca Rupees have been receiv- 



" ed as bullion. The Sicca Rupees used to be receivable as of 



" full weight, if the deficiency did not exceed 6 Annas ( T 6 6 ) in 



" 100 Rupees. Since 1818 the limit has been extended, a defici- 



" ency of 2 pice (,|-^) or about 2 grains being allowed in each 



" coin. In the remoter districts and in the dealings of the poorer 



" classes, different rupees appear still to be in circulation, but the 



" mass of the currency is the Calcutta Sicca Rupee. In general 



" the state of the currency out of the Company's territory is very 



" irregular, each Sovereignty has its own Rupees and they vary 



s< very considerably." 



Further evidence was also given before the same Committee, 

 that prior to 1809 there were four Mints in the Bengal 



1809 A D 



territories, one at Calcutta, one at Benares, cne at 

 Ferruckabad, and one at Delhi ; and there were three currencies,the 

 Calcutta Sicca, the Benares, and the Ferruckabad Rupee, the last 



* About 1773 A. D, 



