British India Rupee - 1878

Victorian gothic design. This series and year have varieties, the exact variety of this example has not yet been determined. I do think that it is the proof-like restrike however. As is well known, cowrie shells were used in Africa as an equivalent of money. Less known is that they had a specific exchange rate in terms of actual coins. For example, in Uganda, in 1895, 200 cowrie shells were equivalent to one rupee of British India. (Numista Forum). Type I obverse, Type II reverse (variant?). For an article on identifying types and variants, see: http://jfcampbell.us/india/victoria/rupee-rev.htm