Pagoda. The E. Co. reckoned twelve fanams to the rupee, and three and a half rupees to the pagoda. But the bazar exchange fluctuated be tween thirty-live and forty-five silver fainting per pagoda. Fannin% were also coined in a base gold. Copper one, five, tett, and twenty ktut pieces were coined in England, by contract, for Madras, so early as 17:17. The twenty kas WM also called dodo and The star pagoda weighed 52.56 grains; touch, 812 per 1000. It was cotntnonly valued at 33 Madras rupees. Many varieties of the pagoda used to circulate on the Coromandel coast ; but since 1833 they have been only obtainable when sought for.
In 1811, a coinage from Spanish dollars took place, consisting of double rupees, rupees, halves, and quarters; and pieces one, two, three, and five fanams ; the rupee weighed 186.7 grains. A silver coinage of half and quarter pagodas, of dollar fineness, also then took place ; the half pagoda weighed 326.73 grains troy, and was equal to Arcot rupees. I3y a proclamation of 7th January 1818, the silver rupee of 180 grains was constituted tlae standard cuiu, and all accounts and public engagements were ordered to be converted at the exchange of 350 rupees per hundred pagodas. The proportion between the old and new currency then became 33- rupees per pagoda, and in copper 75 kas old currency = 14 paisa new currency.
Chinese Currency. —Sycee silver, in Chinese Wan yin, is the only approach to a silver currency among the Chinese. In it the Government taxes and duties, and the salaries of officers, are paid ; and it is also current among merchants in general. The term Syeee is derived from two Chinese words, Se-sze, fine floss silk, which expression is synonym ous with the sig,nification of the term Wan. This silver is formed into ingots (by the Chinese called shoes, and by the natives of India, khuri, or hoofs), which are stamped with the mark of the office that issues them, and the date of their issue. The ingots are of various weights, but most commonly of ten taels each. Sycee silver is divided into several classes, according to its fineness and free dom from alloy. The kinds most current at Canton are the five following :— (a) Kwan-heang, the hoppo's duties, or the silver which is forwarded to the imperial treasury at Pekin. This is 97 to 99 touch. On all the imperial duties, a certain percentage is levied for the purpose of turning. thetn into Sycee of this high standard, and of conveying them to Pekin without any loss in the full amount.
(b) Fan-koo or Fan-foo, the treasurer's receipts, or that in which the land-tax is paid.. This is also of a high standard, but inferior to that of the hoppo's duties, and being intended for use in the province, »ot for conveyance to Pekin, no per centage is levied on the taxes for it.
(c) Yuen-paou or rine - po, literally chief in value. This kind is usually imported from Soo chow, in large pieces of fifty taels each. It does not appear to belong to any particular Govern ment tax.
(d) Yen or Eem-heang, salt duties. This class is superior only to (e) Mia-tae or Wuh-tae, signifying uncletutsed or unptulfied, designated the worst of all. It is: seldom used, except for the purpose of plating, or rather washing, baser metals.
The tael of Sycee in the East India Company's accouuts was reckoned at Gs. 8d. sterling. When assayed in London, this metal was frequently found to contain a small admixture of gold.
Copper Coins of India—Throughout Central India, until long past the middle of the 19th century, in the Nizam's territories, much perplexity existed in the varieties of paisa,, and in the great range of their value, as also, indeed, in the coins of the more precious metals ; so that every town and village almost had its separate currency and its established nirkh or rate of exchange with the rupee, to the great inconvenience of the traveller and of the poorer classes. In weight they varied from 280 grains (the Jeyporei, etc.) to 34 grains (the Maiwari) ; the former passing at about 35, the latter at 378, paisa for a rupee ; but the paisa also differs in each district. Flom the small advantage of melting up copper money, it happens that part of the circulation in this metal is of very great antiquity ; and not only many ancient Hindu coins are met with, but Bactrian and Roman copper coins are also at times procurable at fairs, and in the neighbour hood of old towns in Upper India.
The paisa was in some cases adopted as the unit for determinina the larger weights of the bazars, as the Gorallipur paisa, of which 530 were held equal to a, passeri (five seers) at Ghazi pur ; and generally through the Benares province, 2881 chalans ' of Futtehgliur iu like manner were assumed as the weight of a miln in that district. The Dehli paisa, coined till 1818, was twelve rnasha or oue tola in weight.