India: British India. Major General Claude Martin - East India Company silver Token ND (1797) MS64 NGC,...

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British India. Major General Claude Martin - East India Company silver Token ND (1797) MS64 NGC, Soho (Birmingham) mint, BHM-424B, Pr-399, Puddester-796.1.1. By C. H. Kuchler. Obv. Uniformed bust of Martin left. Rev. Persian legend in three lines. Fully lustrous fields, with frosted, near cameo devices. Extremely rare, with a reported mintage of just 100 specimens in silver.

Born in Lyons, France in 1735, Claude Martin found his way to colonial India while serving in the French army. On account of disputes with his superior officer, he, along with many of his fellow companions, formed their own corps which worked in tandem with the British East India Company. As Martin's standing grew, he became an important liaison between the various investment interests in the region and significant rulers such as the Nawab of Oudh. He raised a regiment in the campaign against the Tipoo Sultan, and was subsequently elevated to the rank of Major-General within the army of the company. This piece is part of a series commissioned by Martin initially to the Soho mint to serve as a token coinage, most likely in the modules of mohur, rupee, and fractional rupees. The strikings in copper are rare, but occasionally seen; examples in silver such as this one are inherently elusive, especially in such a high grade.

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