£28.00
These East India Company copper coins were struck in 1808 by Matthew Boulton at his privately-owned Soho Mint in Birmingham, using the most up-to-date steam-driven machinery. They were struck, from copper mined in Cornwall, in denominations of 5.10, and 20 cash, a general term applied to all small denomination coins circulating in Asia at that time. The obverse bears the Arms granted to the new East India Company in 1698. The motto reads AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIAE, WHICH CAN BE TRASLATED AS ‘Under the Patronage of King and Parliament of England.’ The reverse inscription is in Persian, the diplomatic language of Moghul India, and means, ‘ten cash’, two equal to two falus’, two falus being equivalent of 3/4 of a farthing in 1809. The coins were intended for payment to natives employed by the Company in the production of cotton and silk goods, indigo, saltpetre and spices.
