Note: A classic example of a "Mint Blunder." The die was intended to be engraved dated “1835” but in a rare oversight, the engraver mistakenly engraved the numeral “5” instead of “3” onto the die resulting in “1855”. Upon recognizing the error, the die was corrected by re-engraving the proper numeral “3” over it, resulting in a visible over-engraving.

While "overdate" coins are relatively common in British India Coinage, typically a result of deliberate choice to reuse old dies and reduce minting costs, accidental blunders like this are incredibly rare. This is especially true for this specific era, as coinage across the Indian subcontinent was undergoing a massive overhaul to introduce a uniform system for all three British Presidencies. In the early decades of the Uniform Coinage System, the mints used the fixed year on all the coins, a feature which was typical for William and early Victorian coinage. This was necessitated by problems in producing new dies.

Although a more recent discovery, this blunder has also been observed in One Rupee Denomination. The Quarter-Rupee, however, remains elusive. This marks the first time such an example is being offered in a public auction. Given its scarcity, we expect spirited bidding from elite collectors looking to bridge a gap in their sets. Rarities of this caliber often vanish into private collections for decades before reappearing in the market, if they resurface at all.

Bronze One Twelfth Anna Coin of King George V of Calcut ...

Bronze One Twelfth Anna Coin of King George V of Calcut ...

Copper One Twelfth Anna Coin of Victoria Queen of Bomba ...

1840, Queen Victoria, Silver 1/2 Rupee.