The first copper coins struck by the East India Company for Bengal are of considerable rarity, so it is a pleasure to be able to publish two specimens that recently turned up in Calcutta¹. As noted by Fred Pridmore², these pieces were first struck in 1757, in order to provide small change to pay the labourers employed in the building of Fort William. In an order dated 24^th October 1757, Mr Frankland was instructed to strike a number of copper tickets of various values for this purpose. The only denomination specifically referred to in the early documents is the anna, but it was implied that other smaller denominations were also struck. In April 1760, there were complaints that the copper tickets were not being accepted in the bazar for the full value at which the Company paid them out, and an order was then issued that they should be accepted at 54 pans of Cowries or 1 rupee for 16 copper annas.

       Fred Pridmore tentatively suggested that two copper coins in the British Museum, with the Company’s balemark on one side and a large numeral "1" on the larger one, and "6" on the smaller one, may be the pieces referred to. They presumably continued to be used until replaced by a new type, struck in the name of the Emperor Shah ‘Alam, and with the mint name "Kalkutta" written in Arabic.

       As far as I am aware, the examples in the British Museum were the only pieces of the first issue to have been published, until the late Partha Banerji showed me the two pieces illustrated here. They are similar to the larger coin in the British Museum, weighing 28.7 g and 29.2 g compared with 28.6 g of the BM specimen. The diameter, however, is much smaller, being only between 25 & 27 mm, rather than 33.2 mm. The dies used are also different, with the "C" in the balemark on No.1 not leaning backwards, while on No.2, although the "C" leans backwards, the whole balemark is shown in mirror image.