1695 - Dutch India
Negapatnam - Two Stiver

SPECIFICATIONS Denomination Stiver Alloy Copper Type Struck Diameter 26. mm Thickness 13. mm Weight Legal 54.92 gms Weight 54.03 gms Shape Round Edge Plain Die Axis -150° Mint Negapatnam
	Scholten #1243 ; Dutch India KM #29 ; Mitchiner 1606

Obverse : A degenerated human Facing figure of god Kali of Tanjore. Above to left O^O two annulets. To right over the "left shoulder" an object commonly called the "club" and a thick dot. Sides end in dot which with the two additional rows; (3 dots and 2 dots below) form a tight 7-dot motif on the breast. All within dot circle. Sides end in dot which are part of tight 7-dot motif on the breast with two additional rows; (3 dots and 2 dots below)
Reverse : Crude Tamil legend Nakapattanam divided by a horizontal line enclosed in a dotted circle.

This coin is listed as extreamly rare in Scholten who states that a large number of die-varieties with narrow, tall or broad "body", high and round "sholders". Codrinton points out that the obverse is somewhat similer to the Viraraya Fanam. Although they bore the name Negapatnam on the reverse they were intended principally for Lanka.

Scholten computes 3.432 grams per doit, and 54.864 grams for two Stiver. Mitchiner gives 56. grams for Grogan Auction lot 494.

This dump at 13 mm is the thickest coin I have seen. The edge of the dump shown on right has about a dozen flat surfaces of varied width. Almost as if it has been chisled down to the required weight. The Duit of same series was imaged on side of edge to highlight the great thickness of this coin.

Production probably led to large variations in thickness. Mitchiner gives 8 mm and illustrates 2 coins which are about 20% larger diameter which accounts for the smaller thickness.

Text edited from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  NEGAPATNAM Chapter X Dutch Page 138
The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories- 1601-1948 by C. Scholten, 1953,
  Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman. Chapter X NEGAPATNAM page 138.

This Fine grade coin was scanned at 400 dpi and displayed at 250 dpi. It was obtained in 2002 May from collector in Pittsburgh. It was originally from the Scaife collection as per his collector note dated 1959