Madras Presidency, Selam (Salem) Mint, Copper 5 Cash, AH 1213, Obv: tamil legends “anchu kasu” (5 cash) and encircled lotus flower, Rev: persian legends "zarb, salem" and hijri year 1213, 5.89g, 19.49mm, choice extremely fine, Exceedingly Rare.

Following the Third Mysore War, by virtue of the Treaty of Seringapatam, the East India Company gained a sizeable part of Tipu Sultan’s lands. Included was an area known as the Baramahal, some 70 miles inland from Pondicherry. In charge of this area and Salem was Captain Alexander Reid. There he found a great complexity of coinage in circulation and considered ways of introducing a more standardized coinage of star Pagodas, Fanams and copper coins in addition to the Rupees being struck at Madras. It appears that the coinage struck at Madras was not sufficient to supply the newly acquired territories so orders were issued for mints to be opened at Krishnagiri and Salem for the coinage of Pagodas, Fanams, Arcot Rupees and copper Dudus. The two mints seem to have been working by August 1793 but were closed a couple of years later, their products so far being indistinguishable from those produced elsewhere in the presidency. The Salem mint is reported to have closed in 1795 but, if it did, then it must have been revived temporarily in 1798 or 1799 to produce the above copper coins, the only coins that can with certainty be connected with Salem. The fact that so few of these coins are known (maybe no more than 6 or 7) suggests that they never actually saw much, if any in circulation. For more details, refer “Two unsuccessful mints of the East India Company” by Ken Wiggins, in Spink Numismatic Circular, October 1980.

An important specimen and the great rarity in Madras Presidency coins.

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