Eighteen silver coins, issued over 170 years ago in the name of Queen Victoria, were found on Tuesday in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district when a farmer was digging earth at the site of a dilapidated and abandoned building.
Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage is awaiting the transfer of the coins to its custody "after due legal process". The coins date back to 1836, 1840 and 1845. Some coins bear the name as Queen Victoria and some as Victoria Empress. A few mention East India Company. "One rupee" is embossed in bold.
K.M. Lokesh, Professor and Chairman of Department of History at Mangalore University said the discovery is significant historically though not surprising. It was possible that only the zamindars (landlords) had access to one rupee coins (as their value was very high in those times) and could have buried them underground to protect them from thieves – a common practice in those times.
He said after British defeated Tipu Sultan, the region around Mangaluru was with the British since 1,799 and gradually British coins began to replace Persian coins. In 1834, Kodagu was acquired by the British and the region around Sullia were amalgamated to South Canara (Dakshina Kannada). Three years later, in 1837, a rebellion (Amara Sullia Dange) began, which lasted seven to eight months ended in several people including its leader Kalayma Swamy being hanged by the British. The rebellion was against monetising of the economy – British started asking people to pay taxes in the form of money instead of grains – and their system of judiciary and monopoly over tobacco.
Police, who are in possession of the coins after farmer Dharmaraj Shetty, who was digging the earth for areca plantation, had found the coins and surrendered them.
Curator of the Seemanthi Bai Government Museum here said the coins used to be issued by the Governor General of India. As per the laws the coins found during digging have to be transferred his Department through the Deputy Commissioner of district after ascertaining that there is no claimant. Police said they would be sent to the DC through the local Tahasildar.
