Garhwal, F. (Frederick) Wilson Hursil (1850-1880 AD), Copper One Rupee Token, Obv: english legend “F WILSON HURSIL and ONE RUPEE”, Rev: cross chequered pattern of stars, 3.95g, 26.40mm, about very fine, Extremely Rare.

Fredrick Wilson popularly known as ‘Raja Wilson’ or‘Pahari Wilson’ was a native of Wakefield, England. He is believed to have deserted from the Indian Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1838-39). In early1840's, he arrived in the Sivalik mountain ranges of Tehri Garhwal. His skills as a hunter enabled him to start a business of selling exotic skins and furs. He then ventured into the logging business - his was the time the British were building the Railways in India and there was great demand for quality wooden sleepers for the rails. Wilson cashed in on this and sent huge deodar trees floating down the river to the plains.

Initially, Wilson had not taken permission from the Raja of Tehri-Garhwal for his logging business. But later in the year 1850 he obtained from the Raja of Tehri, an unrestricted lease of many square miles of virginforest for a small annual fee, giving him a share in the profits. It is said that the revenue of the Raja of Tehri went up tenfold.

He purchased large tracts of land and on this estate and established his headquarters at Harsil, a small village in the Uttarkashi district. In course of time, Raja Wilson, as he was known by then, minted his own currency in token value of 1 Rupee, of which this is an example. It is an interesting numismatic vestige of the career of a White ‘Raja’.

Raja Wilson never left the Garhwal Himalayas. He died on 24 July 1883, aged 66 years. He lies buried next to his beloved wife Gulabo, in the Christian cemetery on the Camel-back Road in Mussoorie.

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