Novamarketing Chiasso Medals Coins India F Portuguese India Portuguese Maria Rupee 1806

# 578Rupee AD 1806 Maria IIndia F Portuguese - Diu
Portuguese India – Maria I, Queen of Portugal (1788-1809). Rupia 1806, Mint: Diu, Silver (ø 21 mm – w. 7.49 g.). Edge: plain. Peres 906-912, Gomes 37.01, Vaz JR.47, KM 49.

Obverse:
Crowned coat-of-arms of Portugal with ornaments.

Reverse:
Cross of St. Thomas in centre between ornaments, date in its angles (1 - 8 - 0 - 6), denomination in Reis (600) above, mint name (DIO) below.

Note:
This lightweight Rupee has to be considered an emergency issue for local use. It was minted under the British Occupation of Diu, during the Napoleonic Wars, to prevent the French from using its ports to attack British possessions in India, from about 1802 to 1813. The reduced weight of the coin (about 7.5 gr. instead of 11.8 gr.) is certainly due to the lack of silver and to the deep economic crisis in which the colony found itself. Specimens with date 1804 and 1805 are known (Peres N. 904 and N. 905), but are so rare that it is unlikely they were made for regular circulation.
Modern and dangerous forgeries of this coin exist.

Literature:
Gerson da Cunha J. – Contributions to the Study of Indo-Portuguese Numismatics – First Edition, Bombay, 1880. AES reprint, 1995.
Gomes A. – Moedas Portuguesas e do Territorio que hoje é Portugal – Edição da Associação de Portugal, 5a Edição, Lisboa, 2007.
Krause C. and Mishler C. – Standard Catalog of World Coins 1801-1900 – Krause Publications, 4th Edition, Usa, 2004.
Peres D. – Catalogo Das Moedas Indo-Portuguesa do Museu Numismatico Português – Vol. 1,2,3. Lisboa 1963,1964,1969.
Vaz J.F. – Dinheiro Luso-Indiano (Indo-Portuguese Money) – Oficinas de Barbosa and Xavier Lda, 1a Edição, Braga-Portugal, 1980.