Owner Comments:
I have focused on English and Irish copper coinage for some time now, and I never thought I would also pursue coinage from the Bombay Presidency! Initially, this set was only to include coinage struck at the Soho Mint depicting George III, but I quickly realized that doing so alienated a significant portion of the mint's history. Around the same time, I was researching the silver-lined brass shells that occasionally accompanied a Soho product and came across this jaw-dropper. Not only is the coin a gem (PF-67!), but it has retained its original shells and wrapper. To make things even better, the coin is traced back to the collection of James Watt Jr., the son of James Watt! Watt Jr. served as the mint master for many years, shortly following the death of Matthew Boulton in 1809. By most accounts, Watt Jr. was the only real coin collector among the Soho Mint's significant players. He built a truly remarkable collection expanding beyond the products of the Soho Mint, and the pieces he preserved are among some of the most excellent examples in existence.
ALL SCUFFS ARE ON THE HOLDER
Obverse: The Obverse design is rather pleasing, with the East India Company's arms surrounded by the legend. The company's arms consist of two outward-facing lions perched on top of a curved ribbon bearing the inscription "AUSPICIO REGIS & SENATUS ANGLIAE" which translates to "By right of the King and Senate of England". The innermost foot of each lion is resting upon a ball above the ribbon. The lions are upright on hind legs supporting a shield with one arm and holding a slightly angled flagpole bearing an English flag. The shield is quartered, a crowned shield depicting the English and French coat of arms appears on the upper left-hand side. The remaining three quadrants are blank. Centered immediately above the central shield supported by the upright lions is a knight's helmet adorned with a necklace. Centered upon the top of the helmet is an upright lion with one paw resting on a ball. The lion is holding a regal crown and facing the viewer of the coin. The legend "EAST INDIA COMPANY" adorns the top of the coin. The date "1804" rests at the bottom centered under the coat of arms. The somewhat peculiarly spaced beaded border is contained within a very thin raised rim.
Reverse: The reverse design is much more simplistic. The main device is a balanced set of scales. Each pan is well engraved and gives a sense of depth. The pans are connected by three lines that are detailed to look like chains that come to a head attached to the scale's main arm. Three branches terminated by dots appear at the top, middle, and bottom of the scale's main arm with the pans attached to the lowest. This occurs on both sides. The main body of the scale is moderately ornate, with the main arm getting progressively thicker until it reaches the center. Bisecting the main arm is another branch that terminates in a ball. This is connected to a ring. The Persian legend "Adil," which translates to "Fair" occurs centered between the two pans. The date "1219" appears in Arabic just below. The beaded border on the reverse is more closely spaced and contained within a slightly thicker outer rim.
Edge: Plain
Notes: This coin is nothing short of a jaw-dropper. The primary devices are deeply frosted on both the obverse and reverse, which makes me wonder why this coin was not awarded at least the cameo designation. To any extent, the coin is well struck, highly reflective, free of any detectible blemishes, and has a lovely rich chocolate brown color. In short, this coin has it all and has quickly become one of my favorite coins struck at the Soho Mint. Unfortunately, the holder looks like it was used as a hockey puck for a few seasons and needs to be replaced. I will eventually do this, and I look forward to making some new images of this monster when I do!