A Literary and Historical Atlas of Asia. J. G. Bartholomew
A.D.). In 1641 the Company had acquired a settlement at Fort St. George (Madras) and thenceforth issued coins in imitation of the local currencies of the Coromandel coast (Plate X. 3, gold star pagoda; Plate X. 1, silver fanam (cf. Plate VI. 5); Plate X. 4 is the later pagoda of European fabric issued at the end of the eighteenth century). It was not till 1835 that the name of an English king again appeared on the coins of the East India Company, when a uniform coinage of English style was adopted for India (Plate X. 6, quarter-rupee of William IV.). There has since been little change in the type then adopted. In 1858 the name of the East India Company disappears from the reverse, and in 1877 the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India necessitated a change of title on the obverse (Plate X. 7, quarter-rupee of Victoria).
In 1796, the English occupied Ceylon, hitherto a Dutch possession, and were confirmed in its possession by the treaty of Amiens in 1802. The earlier coins were struck on the standard introduced by their predecessors (Plate X. 8, a silver piece of 24 stivers). In 1836 the English standard was adopted, and silver coins (three-halfpenny pieces) and copper (half-farthings) issued till 1870, when the cent was adopted as the standard coin (Plate X. 9, 25 cents (silver) of George V.).
The East India Company issued coins similar to their later Indian issues for their possessions in the Malay Peninsula, and since 1867 there has been a regular Imperial coinage (100 cents = one dollar) for the Straits Settlements and also for Hong-Kong (Plate X. 10, 5 cents (silver) of Edward VII.).
Portuguese.—In 1510 Albuquerque captured Goa, which became the capital of the Portuguese empire in the east, and increased in wealth and commercial importance so rapidly that it became known as "Golden Goa" (Goa Dourada). From the time of Albuquerque the Portuguese have issued coins here, always with European types. Plate X. 11 is a pardao or half-rupee of Maria struck at Goa in 1808, and is typical of the coinage for nearly three centuries previous. Since 1881 the coins for Goa, which is now all that is left of the Portuguese possessions in the East, have been struck at the Bombay mint, and are uniform with those of British India (Plate X. 12, quarter-rupee, 1885).
Dutch, etc.—Towards the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch began to dispute Portuguese supremacy in the East, and ultimately acquired considerable possessions in the Malay Archipelago. An extensive coinage was issued by the Dutch East India Company in Java in the eighteenth century (Plate X. 13, gold rupee of Java, and X. 14, copper doit). The latter coins of the Dutch territories in the East are similar to the coins of Holland. Coins have also been struck for their Indian possessions of France (Pondichery) and Denmark (Tranquebar) on local standards but with European types.
Bibliography.—J. Atkins, Coins of the British Possessions and Colonies (London, 1889); E. Thurston, The Coinage of the East India Company (Madras, 1890); G. da Cuñha, Indo-Portuguese Numismatics (Bombay, 1880); J. A. van der Chijs, De Munten van Nederlandsch Indië (Batavia, 1859).
PLATE I.
View larger image
PLATE II.
View larger image
PLATE III.
View larger image
PLATE IV.
View larger image
PLATE V
View larger image
PLATE VI.
View larger image
PLATE VII.
View larger image
PLATE VIII.
View larger image
PLATE IX.
View larger image
PLATE X.
View larger image
MAPS AND PLANS
OF
NOTABLE BATTLES, DISTRICTS, & TOWNS
CONNECTED WITH
THE HISTORY OF ASIA
PLANS
OF THE
FIVE CHIEF BATTLES
OF INDIA
BATTLE OF
SERINGAPATAM
February 1792
Bartholomew Edinr
View larger image
BATTLE OF
ASSAYE
September 1803
Bartholomew Edinr
View larger image
BATTLE OF
MEANEE
February 1843
Bartholomew Edinr
View larger image
BATTLE