Lot 6826

AE pattern ½ Anna 1861, struck from dies prepared for the complete set of patterns produced by L.C. Wyon at the Royal mint, London (SW4.150; Pr.575; Pn33) - Obv: Crowned and robed bust of the Queen facing left. Divided legend: VICTORIA QUEEN / Rev: Legend within beaded circle, surrounded by a wreath of leaves, buds and flowers - 12.88 gram, 29.6 mm) - VF/XF Wyon’s matrices, punches and letter punches were shipped to Calcutta early August 1861. Subsquent corresondence and reports disclosed that Wyon’s matrices in their original state failed to meet the technical requirements of the Indian mints, and with the Government pressing for an early change in the coinage, new matrices had to be prepared in the Calcutta Mint. As the currency pieces differ slightly in weight and diameter from the accompaning patterns, it had to be prevented that those patterns would got mixed-up with the circulation coinage and were presumeably defaced at the Mint by a scissor cut. Nevertheless this rarity survided. Besides the scissor cut and some handling marks VF/XF