Indian Coins

Lot 4193    SESSION 12 (11.30am Thurs 29 July)    Indian Coins

Estimate $2,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

MADRAS PRESIDENCY, Indian Style Coinage, Hindu System, gold pagoda, c.1781, Struck at Negapatam mint for district of Tanjore, (3.39 grams), obv. single standing deity, (probably Vishnu?), rev. granulated, (cf.Pr. 2, KM. -, Scholten p.139, the discussion under type No. 1228). Uncirculated and extremely rare.

Ex R.A. Climpson Collection Noble Numismatics Sale 85 (lot 1980) and previously from Spink & Son London, June 23, 1978 by private purchase and Colin E. Pitchfork Collection, Noble Numismatics Sale 48 (lot 1981) with ticket. The issue is said to have been struck under authority of a certain Captain Scott of Tanjore after the British captured Negapatam in 1781. They thus became known as "Scott's Pagoda" or Iskat-Pagoda. The obverse of the rude representation of a single standing deity is derived from the Negapatam issues of the Dutch struck after 1662, which in itself is derived from a Vijayanagar prototype. Pridmore did not recognise the type but is known in India as the Iskat-Pagoda. Scholten notes the fineness of these pagodas as 0.625 - 0.635. The Dr. Lawrence Brilliant specimen struck from same or very similar dies (lot 616) realised US$1,100 in Spink-Taisei Sale 9.