There were many varieties of Queen Victoria coins minted in India. During her reign from 1862 – 1901, coins were minted in many metals including Gold, Silver, and Copper.
Listed below are some of the amazing facts related to Victoria Empress Coins:
– Each and every one of the rupee coins that was minted from the year 1862 to 1873 was dated as 1862.
– Some collectors say that the dot patterns on the reverse side of one rupee variety are codes to indicate the year of minting.
– Some believe that the dots indicate that the coins are fake ones.
– Others say that the worker who minted these coins applied the dots with broken nails.
– The dots on the coins are oddly placed, so there are less chances of a collector acquiring two similar coins.
– 0/1 refers to having no dots on top and having one dot below the date. Similarly, 1/1 refers to having one dot on top and one below. In the same manner, it goes on until it represents 12 dots below and 3 dots on top.
– Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras are the three mint varieties found in these coins. Each of them has a different mint mark.
– All mint marks are found on the reverse side of a coin. They are different and include a dot or the letters “B” or “C” incused or are raised on the coin.
– The “B” mint mark is either ‘normally’ placed or placed in an ‘inverted’ position.
– Sometimes the mint marks are not visible clearly and can be noticed only with a good magnifying glass.
– The reverse of the one rupee coin has several designs which are categorized as Type I, Type II, Type III, and Type IV.
– All of the one rupee varieties that were minted in between the year 1862 – 1876 have legends on them reading as “Victoria Queen.”
– All varieties minted in between the year 1877 – 1901 have legends on them reading as “Victoria Empress.”
– The obverse designs are categorized into 3 parts. These parts are Bust A, Bust B, and Bust C. All of these can be identified by carefully examining the panels on the front of the dress of Queen Victoria.
These are just some of the rare facts that distinguish the one rupee coins from each other. However, none of the dot variety beliefs have been proven to be true. So, collectors keep looking out for these mysterious coins to add them into their British India collection.