1893.] E. Thurston — History of the East India Company Coinage. 61 
1795. In a minute dated 2nd October, 1795, the defective state 
Bengal C0 PP er c °i ;na ge in Bengal was dealt with, 
and the principles upon which the copper currency 
was regulated under Native administration, and the rules that had 
been prescribed regarding it by the British Government were noted. 
“ Under the Mogul administration,” the minute states, “ the silver coin 
was the only measure of value and legal tender of payments. Gold 
mohurs and pice were struck at the mints for the convenience of indi- 
viduals, who carried gold or copper to be converted into those coins. 
But the Government never fixed the number of pice which should be 
equivalent to a rupee, any more than the number of rupees which should 
pass in exchange for a gold mohur. From the year 1772, when 
the mints at Dacca, Patna, and Murshidabad were withdrawn, no pice 
were coined in the Provinces until 1783, when a contract was concluded 
with Mr. Prinsep for coining pice on account of the Government. These 
pice were of four descriptions, viz., whole or pucka, weighing 20 annas, 
half pice, quarters and eighths. These pice were issued by the Govern- 
ment at the rate of 32 pucka pice, 64 half, 128 quarter pice, aud 256 
eighth pice for the sikka rupee.” 
At a council, over which Sir John Shore, Governor General, pre- 
sided, held on 2nd October, 1795, it was considered expedient that there 
should only be two descriptions of copper coin, a whole and half pice, 
to pass at the value of a quarter and an eighth of an anna respectively. 
It was, accoiding ly, resolved that a Begulation should be framed, and 
published for the establishment of a new copper coinage* for Bengal 
Bihar, and Orissa. Among the provisions of this Begulation were : — 
I. That people in all parts of the country be apprised of the value 
at which the coin was issued by Government, and to be received and 
paid by the public and individuals ; 
II. That the value be inscribed on one surface in Persian, Bangali 
and Nagari — the characters used in business in the Provinces ; 
III. That the coin be declared legal tender of payment for frac- 
tions of half a rupee ; 
IY . That the coin be struck at the Calcutta mint, and not at the 
three City mints. 
The Governor General approved of samples of the new pice and 
half pice in November, 1795, and orders were issued to coin an equal 
value of the two coins, until it was ascertained which was likely to be 
in the greatest demand. A week later, however, the Governor General, 
understanding that the relative values of the whole and half pice would 
The existing piece was known as the Calcutta, or Prinsep’s pice. 
