Spink
Auction 22110 24 Aug 2022
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Kumaon, Almora, AE Falus, 11.20g, undated, in the name of Rana Bahadur Shah of Nepal (1777-99), shri maharaja rana bahadur shah bahadur, rev. falus zarb almorah (RGV 1357), good fine, rare.
Almora was invaded and conquered by the Gorkhas in 1790. A year or so later, most of the Nepalese army had to return to Nepal because of a threat from the Chinese, leaving only a small garrison behind. The Almora mint opened some time in the 1790s and this coin would have been struck during this period. These early coins follow the weight standard of the Bahadur Shahi of Nepal, with the Falus weighing over 10g. After the final Nepalese conquest of Garhwal the weight standard was reduced until a standard copper coin weighed about 5g. At this weight they corresponded to the Garhwali Taca and it is thought that both types circulated together.
Provenance
The Nicholas Rhodes Collection, Spink, 27th September 2016, lot 427 - £200
Estimate: £180 - £220
Almora was invaded and conquered by the Gorkhas in 1790. A year or so later, most of the Nepalese army had to return to Nepal because of a threat from the Chinese, leaving only a small garrison behind. The Almora mint opened some time in the 1790s and this coin would have been struck during this period. These early coins follow the weight standard of the Bahadur Shahi of Nepal, with the Falus weighing over 10g. After the final Nepalese conquest of Garhwal the weight standard was reduced until a standard copper coin weighed about 5g. At this weight they corresponded to the Garhwali Taca and it is thought that both types circulated together.
Provenance
The Nicholas Rhodes Collection, Spink, 27th September 2016, lot 427 - £200
Estimate: £180 - £220