The Currency BazaarReal sale prices, not asking prices
British India coin value: what coins of the British era really sell for
None of these coins is money today, and the span is wide: a worn quarter anna and a silver rupee are both British India, and they do not sell for anything like the same price.
By ruler and period
| Issued by | Years | Completed sales | Middle price | Middle half sold between |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal Presidency† | 1757–1835 | 4 | ₹650 | ₹399–₹1,800 |
| Bombay Presidency† | 1672–1835 | 1 | — | — |
| East India Company† | to 1858 | 25 | ₹599 | ₹325–₹1,080 |
| William IV† | 1835–1840 | 2 | — | — |
| Victoria — Queen† | 1840–1876 | 17 | — | ₹250–₹3,100 |
| Victoria — Empress† | 1877–1901 | 32 | — | ₹248–₹1,549 |
| Edward VII† | 1903–1910 | 28 | — | ₹200–₹2,812 |
| George V | 1911–1936 | 96 | — | ₹58–₹1,956 |
| George VI | 1938–1947 | 71 | — | ₹80–₹513 |
| “British India”, no ruler named | 1835–1947 | 14 | ₹139 | ₹99–₹199 |
One row per issuer, over every coin of theirs sold — rupees, annas and pice together, so a middle price is given only where the sales sit within five times of each other. With fewer than 3 sales no price is given, and with 3 the last column is the lowest and highest sale. A linked name has its own page, coin by coin. † every coin of that issuer is 100 or more years old.
Coins with no ruler page of their own
| Coin | Completed sales | Middle price | Middle half sold between |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter Anna coin · Edward VII · 1900s † | 6 | ₹61 | ₹58–₹241 |
| ₹1 coin · Edward VII · 1900s † | 5 | ₹3,100 | ₹3,099–₹3,199 |
| ₹1 coin · British India · 1940s | 5 | No single price | ₹179–₹199 |
| Half Pice coin · Edward VII · 1900s † | 4 | ₹1,455 | ₹1,114–₹1,455 |
| Pie coin · Edward VII · 1900s † | 4 | ₹240 | ₹179–₹310 |
| Pice coin · British India · 1940s | 4 | ₹99 | ₹88–₹99 |
| Quarter Anna coin · British India · 1930s | 3 | ₹99 | ₹99–₹99 |
One coin type per row, in one decade where the seller gave a year, over at least 3 sales; under 4 the last column is the lowest and the highest, and where the sales sit more than five times apart no middle price is given.
This page spans three centuries, so some of its coins are past a hundred years old and some are not. For the rows marked †:
How to tell which ruler your coin is from
- Read the legend, then the date. Coins dated 1835 to 1858 say “EAST INDIA COMPANY”. Queen Victoria’s read “VICTORIA QUEEN” (1840–1876) and then “VICTORIA EMPRESS” (1877–1901). After her come Edward VII (coins dated 1903–1910), George V (1911–1936) and George VI (1938–1947), each named on the coin. The ruler pages linked in the table go coin by coin.
- Before 1835 the Company’s presidencies — Bengal, Bombay and Madras — struck their own coins, many in the Mughal style with Persian legends. Where the seller named the presidency or the Company, those sales are counted here.
- “British India” with no ruler named. Some sellers title a coin only “British India” and a year. Those sales sit in their own row; the date on your coin tells you whose it is.
- Silver and nickel. A silver rupee dated 1835 to 1939 holds 10.69 g of pure silver; one dated 1940 to 1945 holds 5.83 g; the 1947 rupee is nickel. How much silver is in old Indian coins →
- 100 years. Every coin of the presidencies, the Company, Queen Victoria and Edward VII is now 100 or more years old, and so is a George V coin dated 1925 or earlier: the export rule applies to them. George VI coins are not yet 100.
Why British India coins look so dear online
British India coins are listed at lakhs every day, and a listing is only what the seller hopes for. Every figure on this page is a completed sale instead. Why asked is not sold →
Related pages
Prices: completed sales of british india coins recorded at independent coin shops, read up to 2026-10-21. Asking prices are never mixed in, and no sale is counted twice. A coin is counted here when the seller named its ruler or its presidency, or wrote only “British India”; a title that says British India and also names a ruler is left out, and no coin is put under a ruler by its year alone.
Asked to pay a fee for a British India coin?
“British India” on a coin is what the fraud quotes back at you before asking for registration, GST or an export charge. A real buyer never asks the seller for money.
How the scam works