![British E.I.C., Madras Presidency, 'Star' Pagoda, 1740-1806 [ACP3P-6] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ACP3P-6.jpg)
Description
British East India Company, the Madras Presidency, Gold ‘star’ Pagoda (3.45g, 11mm), Madras city mint 1740-1806 AD. Obverse: Half-length figure of Vishnu facing forward, cross of beads either side. Reverse: Star in relief surrounded by granulated field. Stevens-1.11; Pridmore-9; KM-303. In typically superior grade, quite well centred for the flan size, a very attractive proclamation pagoda, details Extremely Fine.
The gold Pagoda of the Madras Presidency, a sub-division of the British Empire in India, was one of the denominations chosen during the Australian Proclamation of 1800 by Philip Gidley King, the Governor of New South Wales. It had a high face value of Eight Shillings in order to disincentivize the removal of currency from within the Australian colonies. This coin, although a type struck by the British East India Company for use within British India, is still considered a piece of Australia’s early colonial history as a proclamation piece.
