1823 - Ceylon
Madras Arcot One Rupee
Counter-Marked with a Crown

The persistent shortage of coin led to a special import of East India Company's Madras "Arcot" one rupee coins. To retain these coins in local circulation they were counter-marked with a crown. Declared current by local proclamations dated 1823 December 31st to pass at 4/3 rix-dollar or 16 fanams.

SPECIFICATIONS
Denomination4/3 RixDoller
AlloySilver (0.943747Ag)
Diameter28.1 mm
Thickness2.1 mm
Weight Legal11.66 gms
Weight11.58 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeIndented cord
DieAxis0°
Issue282,337
MintMadras
1823_cm_1rm_obverse 1823_cm_1rm_reverse
1823_cm_1rm_edge
Pridmore #24; Mitchiner #2224; Krause #86

Obverse : Within a beaded border a Persian legend: 1172 Sikka Mubarak badshah ghazi Aziz-ud-din Muhammad. Alamgir = 1172 the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor. Chosen of the faith of Muhammad. Alamgir. Dated AH 1172 - Frozen year 6 of Alamgir II (1759) - Crown CounterMark on left side.
Reverse : Within a beaded border a Persian legend: Zarb Arcat sanat 6 julus maimanat manus = Struck at Arcot in his 6th year of tranquil prosperity. A closed lotus flower indicating Madras Mint.

The coins counter marked with the British crown is the Madras Mint Arcot One rupee with closed lotus form (Krause Madras Presidency #413) the issue of which was authorized by a proclamation dated 1817 December 9th in Fort St. George (Madras).

1823_cm_1rm_ag The number issued from the 1824 Ceylon Blue book lists that 260,000 Arcot quarter rupee coin of the same mint issue (Krause Madras Presidency #413 - 17.4 mm diameter and 2.91 gram weight) were similarly imported into Ceylon and counter marked for local use by a earlier proclamation dated 1823 March 22nd. to pass at 1/3 rix-dollar or 4 fanams. (Pridmore #25; Mitchiner #2225; Krause #85)

Withdrawn from circulation after British Sterling was introduced in the island just 2-years later, This coin is extreamly rare and difficult to find. It is One of the few Ceylon coins of this era with no image illustrated in the Krause catalog.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Page 151 Chapter XI British - I : 1796-1825 - Plate 167.

The coin was scanned at 600dpi and the images are displayed at 200dpi.
The coin edge was scanned at 600dpi and the image is displayed at 400dpi.
The VF countermarked coin was purchased in June 2015 from Lalith Raddella's collection.

Silver Purity measured at 95% using XRF at Devi Jewellers Sea Street, Colombo matches legal value of 94.3747%.