India... the jewel in the British crown
This was the title of the Indian subcontinent (present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) from the days of the East India Company until June 22, 1948, when India and Pakistan declared their independence. The official title of the British monarch changed from simply "King" to "Emperor King." Many colonies, such as Canada and Australia, even added the letters "Ind. Imp." to their currency, an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "Indiae Imperator," meaning "Emperor of India." There were five emperors of India: Queen Victoria from 1876 to 1901, Edward VII from 1901 to 1910, George V from 1910 to 1936, and Edward VIII, whose coins were not issued in India as he abdicated in favor of his brother, George VI, who reigned from 1936 to 1948.
In my opinion, Anglo-Indian coins are among the most beautifully designed, combining modern Western geometric shapes with exquisite Eastern motifs. Furthermore, India was considered one of the most important colonies of the British Crown due to its size, location, and population. Interestingly, India and its mints had close ties with Arab countries, having minted many Arab coins, particularly during periods of war. Indian coins were also adopted as official currency in several Arab countries.
The image shown today (which is from my own collection and photographed by me) is a quarter of an Indian “anna” minted in 1936 at the end of the reign of “George V”, who truly had a royal profile worthy of his famous gold sovereigns! But thank God, unlike the gold sovereigns, this one only cost me 3 dollars, as huge quantities of them were minted, and most of them are unseen or about unseen, like this one, which is valued at 58 Red Brown.
Please click on the link and enlarge the image to enjoy the beauty of the piece.
Moheb Rizkalla
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kyb4BXLkwuFiHFrF6
