Lot 5076

Description

Madras Presidency, Indian Style Coinage, Hindu System, Gold pagoda, c.1678-1740, Struck at Fort St. George (Madras) mint, (3.4 grams), obv. single standing deity, (probably Vishnu?), rev. granulated, (Pr.2 var., KM. 288). Good extremely fine, rare.

A variant from the Pitchfork collection specimen (Sale 48 lot 1980, and similar to the Dutch issue Sale 48 lot 2048). The granulated reverse was apparently copied from the Dutch Negapatam pagoda c.1678-1679. The type continued to be struck at the Madras mint until the introduction of the star pagoda in 1740. Many varieties occur and they circulated under several names. A similar piece was in the Dr. Lawrence Brent collection (Spink-Taisei Sale 9, lot 605).