Queen Elizabeth I Portcullis Money - 8, 4, 2 & 1 Testerns [Risolto]

http://www.obsoletecoin.com/2013/07/the-portcullis-money-history.html

It has been brought to our attention that these trade pieces from the end of Elizabeth I's reign in 1600-1 are missing from the Numista catalogue and should be added - the big question is where should they be listed.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series (as I was until recently), the “portcullis” coinage was struck at the Tower Mint, London for the maiden voyage of the incorporated “Company of Merchants of London” trading into the East Indies. They were struck to the same composition and weights as the Spanish 8, 4, 2, and 1 Reales and the hope was they would trade alongside and maybe even replace the Spanish Reales. However, it would appear that they were largely unsuccessful as the Reales were well known and trusted and no-one recognised or accepted the Testerns and many were simply melted down.

They are listed in Spink England at the end of the Elizabeth I section and described as "trade coins" but they do carry regular Spink reference numbers, i.e. 2607A, B, C and D. Krause, however, lists them under India - British, describing them as Colonial Trade Coinage and gives them 'T' references, namely KM#T4, T3, T2 and T1.

So the two-fold question being put out there for general discussion is should they be listed under England, British India or somewhere else and then should they be entered as coins or tokens? Over to you ....

For me it says it all at the bottom of the link you posted

"References: KM#4 (India - British)"

It seems Krause has 1, 2, 4 and 8 Testerns listed as British India KM#1, 2, 3 and 4...which makes sense because the first East India company coins come in at KM#445 so there must be other coins before them. I would put them in as a new currency in the British India section.

Krause lists them in India, because they were meant to circulate there. Spink lists them because they are British.

I would go for British India too.

But surely coins, we already have some examples of coins which were only meant to be used as such in the catalogue.

I think these were meant for the Indonesia area.... and not British India.
Fred Pridmore has these coins catalogued under 'Asian Territories', he has separate books for British India which does not include these coins

http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/73590

http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/65331

The East India company started it's Indian trading in 1608 & established 'factories' in India in 1612.

Here are the photographs and sources for whenever you decide on where to put the coins in the catalogue:

8 Testerns
Spink: 2607A
Source: Classical Numismatic Group


4 Testerns
Spink: 2607B
Source: Noble Numismatics


2 Testerns
Spink: 2607C
Source: Noble Numismatics


I don't have photos for 1 Testern (Sp#2607D)

Those are very interesting . Never heard of them , great reading. Great reading

To me they're British India, but then again how many coins were minted for the colonies which stay under the guise of GB, like the trade dollars being the best example and to lesser extents say 1/2, 1/3 & 1/4 farthings the 1888 4d (British Guiana) 1950 & 51 pennies, 1952 6d. Even the 1827 penny which was only struck for use in Australia is always lumped in with the U.K. Coinage. Where do you draw the line ?

Well.. I say if it's a denomination that didn't circulate in the homeland freely and was meant for elsewhere then it's foreign. So 1/3 & 1/4 farthings should also go to Malta and Ceylon and the others respectively.

23 use Krause as a guide let's make it better than simply following.

Thanks for the feedback guys. These have now been published under British India with a comment about them turning up in Bantam, Java. Just need to do the 1 Testern once we find a decent, authorised image for one.

Cita: "radrick007"​Thanks for the feedback guys. These have now been published under British India with a comment about them turning up in Bantam, Java. Just need to do the 1 Testern once we find a decent, authorised image for one.

​that's great. Maybe we can move forward with others not just by ours but other empires.