ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

Secretary General Regional Secretaries Mr. M. R. Broome General Section: Mr. ©. M. Webdale

Newsletter Editor Europe: Dr. H. J. van der Wiel Dr. M. B. Mitchiner

UK. and Eire: Mr. K. W. Wiggins Annual Subscription £3-00; 11.11. 15-00; 6-00 dollars North America: Mr. P. D. Hogan Newsletter number 59; April 1979

Who was Bushby Sahib? by K. W. Wiggins © (continued)

Bushby, in capacity as Agent to the Governor General, would, no doubt, have had dealings with Rahguraj Singh, the then Maharajah of Rewa. The nature of these dealings is not known but he was probably keeping an authoritative eye on his form of government. It is also a matter of conjecture as to why the Maharajah decided to have the Agent’s name on his coin, or who instigated the idea. Unless Bushby was an extreme egoist the

suggestion is hardly likely to have come from him, and if it had done the action would have been likely to incur the displeasure of the Bengal Government. In any event it would have caused some comment in official

circles. Although not active in discouraging the Native States from producing their own coins, the Presidency Governments did nothing to assist with their coining. They were fairly prompt to suppress any use of the native coins in their own territories. The idea, and full marks must be given for originality, probably came from the Maharajah or a member of his court, with the presumed intention of making a favourable impression on the

highest ranking representative of the Company in that area. Whatever impact the issue of coins bearing Bushby’s

name may have had, it is significant that they were issued with one date only and that they were the last issue struck by Rewa for general use.

There are two types of these coins and two denominations. The first type has on the obverse a tiger walking left and around it an Urdu inscription which includes the name of Raghuraj Singh and the date - 1906 (AD 1849). The second type has the tiger reclining to the right with the same Urdu legend. The inscription is very badly engraved and cannot be properly read. Both types have the same reverse written in rather quaint English. The larger coins, which were presumably double paisa, weigh about 15.8 grammes and

the smaller about 8.2 grams. concluded on back page

laes

Some recent publications - Amjad Ali, Chalni coins of Hyderabad, Numismatic Digest (Bombay), 111, June 1978, 38 Henri Arroyo, About the Aleppo revolutionary dirham of 358 AH, Spink’s Numismatic Circular, March 1979, 120-121 Erdogan Atak, (The numismatic work of ) Ibrahim Artuk, Koleksiyon, Istanbul 1978, 16 - 18 - K. Bhatt, Architectwral designs and the coins of Nasir Shah, Numismatic Digest (Bombay), Ii, June 1977, 29. - du Quesne Bird, Libyan zinc coinage of Mahmud II, 1808 - 1839, Spink’s N. C. April 1979, 188 Niklaus Durr, New Porus Commemoratives, Numismatic Digest (Bombay), 111, June 1978, 4 - T. Eisen, British Sumatra, Numismatics International, January 1979, 6 - 10

  • S. Farid, An unpublished Awadh medal of Queen Nawab Taj Mahal, Numismatic Digest (Bombay), Iii, Dec. 1977, 42

Gupta, An interesting uninscribed coin, Numismatic Digest, Ii, June 1977, 69 Gupta, Anew coin of Daulat Shah of Bengal, Numismatic Digest, li, June 1977, 70 Gupta, A gold coin of Bahmani Mahmud Shah III, Numismatic Digest, Ii, June 1977, 71 Gupta, A double mohur of Ahmad Shah, Numismatic Digest, Ii, June 1977, 72 Gupta, A copper coin from Garhwal, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 1 Gupta, An unusual quarter anna brockage of Edward VII, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 56 Gupta, The Maratha Seals: - I, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 58. - Hussain, Gold coins of Shahjahan from Bordi river, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 36. Ilisch, Ein Dirhamfund des fruehen 10 Jahrhunderts aus der Gegend von Diyarbakir, Munstersche Num. Zeitung, IX, 1979, 8 - 14. K. Jenkins, Kushan coins from Iraq, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 26. van Laere, Une monnaie Maldivienne inconnu (rupee of Sultan Mohammed Imad al din III al Mukarram

ibn Mohammed, 1749 - 1754), Bull. Cercle d’Etudes Numismatiques, Brussels, no. 15, 1979, 70 - Lachman, The bronze coinage of Abdul Hamid struck at Constantinople, Spink’s N.C., March 1979, 122 - 123 - Lachman, The Egyptian coinage of the 18th. century, Numismatics International, January 1979, 11- 14 - Lachman, The Medin, Numismatics International, February 1979, 54 - 57 - M. MacKenzie, Church tokens of Yeronda, Apploniade, Goulion, Monasterion and Behram (in Greek), Zyllekthz nos. 7, 46 and 47 - K. Maheshwari, Two types of local punchmarked coins, Numismatic Digest, Ili, Dec. 1977, 1 - Munshi, Two new coins from Sopara, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 22

  • Munzel, Erganzungen zu den Dirhems des Rum-Seldschuken Kai-Ka’us II, Jahrbuch fur Numismatik und Geldgeschichte, XXVII, 1977, 93 - 94 - Munzel, Ein Fund fruhsafawidischer Munzen, ibid., XX VII, 1977, 95 - 120 - V. Parabrahma Sastry, Unknown coins of the Satavahanas and their predecessors, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 10 - Plant, The coinage of the Nabataeans, Seaby’s Coin and Medal Bulletin, March 1979, 81 - 84 - Rao, Two unidentified ancient (Indian) coins, Numismatic Digest, Ii, June 1977, 34 - Rao, A lead coin of Siva Sebaka, Numismatic Digest, Iii, 17 e - Rao, A new coin of Mana Chutuka, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 23 - Rao, A Malwa copper coin of Ghiyas Shah, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 30 - Rao, A rare coin of Muhammad Shah Bahmani, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 32 - Rao, A copper coin of Chhatrapati Shambhaji, Numismatic Digest, Iii, 40 - Rebello, Some rare Indo-Portuguese coins, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 45 - M. Reedy and R. Kelly, Signature and other varieties of Cambodian Banknotes, Spink’s N. C., March 1979,

ب بح بح بح بح بح بم ا 5 0 ‏SS

م وام

124 - 8 - Richter, Das Munzwesen der frueheren Han-zeit nach dem Han-shu, Munstersche Num. Zeitung, IX, 1979,

3-8 - S. Sengar, Assaywise list of gold coins in circulation when the British took occupation of India, Numismatics International, February 1979, 58 - 60 - K. Sethi, New coins ofSebaka, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 10 A, M. Shastri, Two numismatic problems, Numismatic Digest, Ii, June 1977, 24 - M. Shastri, Coins of Vijayanandin, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 3

  • Shukla and R. T. Somaiya, An enigmatic Kutch Kori, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 53

  • Siddiqui, New title on Bijapur coins, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 31 - Siddiqui, New couplet on Bijapur coin, Numismatic Digest, Iii, Dec. 1977, 33 - Siddiqui, Coins of Pratap Rudradeva, Numismatic Digest, Ili, June 1978, 24 - Siddiqui, A copper coin of Ramachandra, Numismatic Digest, IIi, June 1978, 36

  • Smith, Notes of the coinage of Sinkiang, Numismatics International, February 1979, 44 - 53

tockmann, Ottomaanien Kupariraha Mangir, Eripainos, Numismaatikko-lehdesta N:o 4, 1978

S. A. A, A. A.

D.

  • S - N. J. Wright, The Birmingham mint and the Imperial Chinese Coinage, Spink’s N. C., April 1979, 178 - 180 Dr. P. L. Gupta writes: A society named the Numismatic Society of Bombay was formed by the coin collectors of Bombay. It brings out a half-yearly journal, Numismatic Digest, which is available free to all its members. The admission fee for non-resident members is 30 US dollars or £15 and the annual fee is 15 US dollars or £7 - 50. But the journal may be had by ONS members on payment of the annual subscription only (15 dollars or £ 7-50). They would, however, be treated only as subscribers for the Journal. Those interested may write to - K. Maheshwari, General Secretary of the Society, 317 NEELAM, 108 Worli Sea Face Road, BOMBAY 400 018, India. (A number of article titles are listed above and others were cited in the Dec. 1977 ONS N/L)

ONS Publications available to members - Information sheets

  1. R. Hardaker, INDIA: silver punchmarked and associated coinages. Sept. 1971, 12 pp. £1-20 4 W. Wiggins, INDIA: Native States: The coinage of Kishangarh. Feb. 1972, 4pp. £0-40

B.N. Hayter, CHINA: The Southern Sung dynasty, AD 1127 - 1279. Nov. 1972, 18 pp. with tables reduced in size (30 pp. with full size tables) £ 1-80 (or £ 3 -00) N.G. Rhodes, INDIA: The coinage of Srinagar in Garhwal, AD 1760 - 1815. Apr. 1973, 7 pp. £0-70

M.B. Mitchiner, Multiple Dirhems of the Samanid-Ghaznavid period from North-east Afghanistan.

June 1973, 13 pp. with tables reduced (18 pp. with full size tables) £1-30(or£ 1 - 80)

XK. W. Wiggins, INDIA: Native States: The coinage of Kishangarh, part II. Sept. 1973, 7 pp. £0-70

R.C. Senior, The coinage of the Indo-Scythians and Indo-Parthians. Nov. 1973, 7+ 11 pp. £1-80

N.G. Rhodes, INDIA: The coinage of Sikkim. Jan. 1974, 3 pp. £0-30 N.G. Rhodes, INDIA: The coinage of Manipur. June 1974, 7 pp. £0-70 N.G. Rhodes, The coinage of Cooch Behar. Nov. 1974, 13 pp. £1-30

  • G. Rhodes and K. W. Wiggins, The silver coinage of the Dogra Maharajahs of Jammu and Kashmir. Apr. 1975, 9 pp. £0-90

  • Lingen, INDIA: Native States: Tonk State. Nov. 1975, 20 pp. £2-00 - L. Tarizzo, Early Arab coins of Tunisia, part I: governors of Ifrigiyah: 85 - 184 AH/ 704-800 AD. Jan. 1976, 10 pp. £1-00

  • W. Wiggins, INDIA: The Queen Victoria coinage of Bhartpur. Sept. 1976, 5 pp. £0-50

M.L. Tarizzo, Early Arab coins of Tunisia, part II: the Aghlabids: 184 - 296 AH/ 800 - 909 AD. Nov. 1976, 11 pp. £1-10

WN. ©. Rhodes, The coinage of Bhutan. Jan. 1977, 14 pp. £1-40

L.A. Shaw, Survey of coinage in Burma since the 18th. century. May 1977, 19 pp. £1-90

M.L. Tarizzo, Early Arab coins of Tunisia, part 111: the Fatimids of Ifriqiyah and their successors up

to the establishment of Hafsid rule: 296 - 625 AH/ 909 - 1228 AD. July 1977, 18 pp. £1-80

N.G. Rhodes, Tibetan mints. Aug. 1978, 9 pp. £0-90 M.R. Broome, Mamluk Sequins. Nov. 1978, 5 pp. £0-50

The next IS. will be on the ‘Copper doits of Banjermasin, 1789 - 1817’ Occasional papers

OD. G. Briggs, An annotated list of books on coins published in India, 1960 - 70. July 1970, 9 pp. _

M.R. Broome, Books in print - Arab Numismatics. July 1973, 2 pp. £0-20

R.K. Bright, A tentative Hyderabad date list. Sept. 1973, 2 pp. £0-20 P.D. Hogan, Books in print - East Asian Numismatics. Jan. 1974, 2 pp. £0-20

§. Lachman, The gold coins of the last six Ottoman Sultans, AH 1259 - 1341/ AD 1844 - 1922 Apr. 1974, 8 pp. £0-80 - Vesco, Numismatic extracts from the 1511180 review ‘East and West’, 1950 - 1962. Nov. 1974, 7 pp.

£0-70 12. Wright, China: The Peiyang arsenal mint. Dec. 1974, 5 pp. £0-50

  • Wright, China: Provinces of Fukien and Taiwan - re-assessment of the work of the Foochow mint

on the silver coinage, 1896 - 1906. June 1975, 9 pp. £0-90

§. Lachman, A trial listing of the modern gold coins of Ottoman Egypt. Sept. 1975, 8 pp. £0-80

  • Wright, China: The Republican 20 cent pieces of the Manchurian provinces and some notes on the Mukden mint. May 1976, 4 pp. £0-40

  • Wright, China: Additional mintage figures for the Peiyang arsenal, Fukien and Mukden mints. Sept. 1977, 3 pp. £0-30

  1. Arroyo, The Ottoman coinage of Tilimsan. Jan. 1979, 6 pp. £0-60

The next OP. will be on ‘The Bundi - Kotah complicacy’. — contd. from front page

To conclude the story of Bushby’s career: he remained in the position of Commissioner and Agent for the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, probably stationed at Jabalpur, until 1854. In that year he reached the zenith of his career and was appointed a Ist. Class civil servant, there being only a few of this rank in the Bengal Presidency, and was sent as Resident to Hyderabad. This was an important and responsible post calling for experience, diplomacy and tact in acting as the Company’s representative to the Nizam. Bushby did not enjoy this position for very long, nor did he ever see England again. He died in Hyderabad on the 30th. December 1856. There is probably, in some dusty cemetary in Hyderabad, a crumbling monument to Bushby Sahib and with the passage of time this will dissappear entirely. A perpetual memorial was established during his lifetime, however, by some unknown dignitary of the Rewa State, who, out of admiration, gratitide or mere obsequiousness, decided that his name should appear on the state coins. An Indonesian windmill?

Miss Helen Brown of the Heberden Coin Room at the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford OX1 2PH) has sent this illustration of a piece in the museum to

see if any member can shed any light. It is a uniface lead specimen weighing 61.57 gm. and 40 mm. diameter. Accompanying it is a note describing it as a “Leaden coin which passes current in some of the Oriental Islands. It was brought home from Sumatra…… in 1809/10”.

Two new types of Arakan rupee by Michael Mitchiner

The conventional type of silver coin struck by the rulers of Arakan bears the Raja’s accession date with

standardised Burmese inscription below; the same design appearing on both the obverse and the reverse. Although normally called rupees these coins were struck to a weight of 10 to 10.5 grammes; much the same as the weight standard used for silver coins struck in the adjacent northern state of Tripura. The conventional Arakanese silver coin type was introduced by Narapatigyi (AD 1638 - 1645: Burmese era 1000 - 1007): a

small number of his predecessors having struck silver coins bearing other forms of inscriptional coin type. From the time of Sandathudamma (AD 1652 - 1684) the Raja bore the standard title ‘Lord of the Golden Palace’. Silver coins struck by a substantial number of rulers were published by Phayre (Coins of Arakan,

Pegu and Burma, 1882, 21. 1 - 2) and the final issues struck after the Burmese occupation and dated BE 1146 (AD 1784) have more recently been described by Mr. Lewis Shaw (ONS Information sheet no. 17).

Narapatigyi: AD 1638 - 1645: BE 1000 - 7 AR 10.3 grammes EID EAWAD‏GRVAPعو
nisH upH ahT nihk nisH iN ahT nihk‏iygidaparaN droL” fo eht etihW,‏tnahpelE
Lord of the Red Elephant, Narapadigyi”’ (The coin of Narapatigyi published by Phayre, I, 7,

nisH upH ahT nihk nisH iN ahT nihk ‏iygidaparaN droL” fo eht etihW,‏tnahpelE

Lord of the Red Elephant, Narapadigyi”’ (The coin of Narapatigyi published by Phayre, I, 7,

had the shorter legend “‘Lord of the White Elephant, Narapadigyi’’)

Sandawizala: AD 1736: BE 1098 AR 9.95 grammes وقاءاء‎

631 مدع‎ Jd OF0En جع‎

Shwe Nan Tha khin Sandawijala Raja “Lord of the Golden Palace, Sandawijala Raja” In BE 1098 Sandawijala replaced his cousin Narapawara on the Arakanese throne but was deposed eight months later by Katya. He was expelled 3 days later by Sandawijala’s brother Madarit who ruled from BE 1098 until BE 1104. Phayre (I, 15) published a coin of Madarit dated BE 1098, but this appears to be the first recorded specimen struck by his brother Sandawijala.