Edward VII Rupee

The Edward VII rupee was struck with a portrait of the king facing right, a tradition that flipped from his mother's left-facing image to keep things fresh in the royal lineup.

That design choice, while subtle, helped standardize British Indian currency during a period of imperial transition. The coin weighed 11.66 grams and was composed of .917 fine silver, ensuring it matched the stability of previous rupees. Most were minted at the Calcutta or Bombay mints, though records for exact outputs in some years are spotty, lost to colonial bureaucracy.

Variations exist, like the occasional proof strikes that pop up in auctions, but they're rare enough to make you wonder if they're just well-preserved myths. I once mistook a worn one for a paperweight.