William IV
East India Company coinage bearing the portrait of William IV — among the earliest uniform coinage struck for India.
William IV coinage
Coins carrying the portrait of William IV belong to the East India Company period, before the Crown took direct control of India. They sit at the point where the Company moved away from separate Presidency coinages towards a single uniform standard, which makes them an important transitional group for anyone collecting British India in order.
This is early material and it is not commonly encountered, so condition varies considerably. Wear on the portrait and legend is normal for coins of this age, and surfaces often show the effects of long circulation.
What to check
- Denomination — the series runs across silver and copper values.
- Legend clarity — how much of the obverse and reverse lettering survives.
- Portrait detail — the usual first area to wear.
- Surfaces — cleaning and tooling matter more on early coinage than light wear does.
Read each seller's description carefully; the photographs show the exact coin offered.