Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 2151. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

WORLD. BRITISH INDIA. Victoria. Lot of 250 AR Half Rupees. All dated 1899. Bust left / Denomination. Average UNC. LOT SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS. Two hundred fifty (250) coins in lot. ($1000)

British India of the 19th and 20th centuries was one of the largest consumers of silver in the world. From Victoria to the onset of Independence in 1947 millions of ounces of silver were coined at the Indian government mints at Bombay and Calcutta. In two years, 1918 and 1919, the minting of silver rupees reached almost a half billion from both mints. A immense quantity of coined silver rested in bank vaults in India and abroad, held as part of the monetary reserves of several nations, and the wealth accumulated by the numerous princes and rajas of the Princely States. The following thirty-one lots represent a small portion of that outflow of specie which has recently come to light. Most of the coins in the following lots saw no circulation (we have tried to mention when that is not the case), and many would rate choice Brilliant Uncirculated. However, less than ideal storage conditions mean that, while uncirculated, some coins will show evidence of bag marks and others are tarnished or stained. Please keep this in mind when bidding. We have not attempted to sort through every lot, but we did make a quick review of the George V rupees, to see if any of the rare dates in that series appeared. The examples found were placed in one lot (XXXX) to make up an almost complete date set (no 1922 was found) but there is a possibility that more lurk in the rest of the lots. No attempt was made to identify the different mint marks within each series. These rupees are glittering mementos of the height of the British Empire.