150th Anniversary of India Government Mint, Bombay

Gold and silver have long served as the bedrock of value and exchange worldwide, and in India, Emperor Sher Shah standardized the Rupee as the currency within his realm. His ratio of exchange—one tola of gold to 15 tolas of silver—became the norm, with his gold mohur and silver rupiya each weighing 180 grains. During the Mughal period, mints using hand-cut dies proliferated, with significant ones in Agra, Lahore, Jaunpur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Murshidabad, Patna, Dacca, Varanasi, Sagar, and Surat.

The East India Company, after acquiring limited coinage rights from the Mughal emperors in 1717, established mints in Bombay (1717), Madras (1742), and Calcutta (1758). Other European powers in India, such as the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes, and French, also had their own mints across different regions.

In 1836, the British Parliament passed an act during King William IV’s reign, instituting a uniform and monometallic coinage system, transitioning away from various weights and finenesses of silver rupees and gold mohurs. The Bombay Mint, established in 1824, played a pivotal role in this transition. Initially under the Bombay Government’s supervision, it came under direct Central Government management in 1876.

Designed and constructed by Major John Hawkins of the Bombay Engineers, the Mint commenced operations in its new premises in 1830. Equipped with steam engines during the early years of industrial steam power, it now boasts modern electric furnaces and sophisticated equipment. With a current daily output of approximately 2.5 million coins, medals, seals, etc., the Mint continues to be a vital institution.

Celebrating 150 years of the India Government Mint, Bombay, the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department proudly issues a postage stamp, honoring the Mint’s enduring legacy in India’s numismatic history.