East India Company 1/12 Anna (1835) NGC – British Colonial Coinage

This NGC-certified 1/12 Anna coin, dated 1835, was struck under the authority of the British East India Company (EIC), one of the most powerful commercial enterprises in history. Far more than a trading firm, the EIC functioned as a de facto sovereign power, with the authority to mint currency, administer justice, maintain armies, and conduct diplomacy across vast regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Chartered in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I, the East India Company rapidly expanded its influence throughout Asia. By the 18th century, it was responsible for managing half of the world's global trade. In 1757, following the Battle of Plassey, the British government delegated full administrative control of India to the Company—a private corporation now ruling one of the largest populations on Earth.

The 1835 coinage reform standardized the Company’s currency across British India, introducing denominations like this 1/12 Anna. Struck in copper, this small denomination coin circulated widely throughout the subcontinent and is notable for its clean bilingual design, typically featuring English and Persian inscriptions to reflect colonial authority over a diverse population.

Coins like this represent more than monetary value—they are relics of imperial policy, global commerce, and the complexities of colonial rule. The 1835 series marks a critical turning point, consolidating economic and political control under the EIC just two decades before the British Crown would assume direct governance following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Encapsulated and certified by NGC, this 1/12 Anna is a key piece for collectors of colonial coinage, British India, or global imperial history.