1/12 Anna King Edward VII British India 1908 AD Bronze Coin

British India, King: Edward VII, Reign: 1901–1910 CE, Years of Minting: 1904–1910 CE, Denomination: 1/12 Anna, Composition: Bronze, Weight: 1.57 grams, Diameter: 17.5 mm, Reference: KM# 498, About Very Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: Right-facing bust of King Edward VII with the surrounding legend “EDWARD VII KING & EMPEROR,” designed by engraver George William de Saulles and bordered by a toothed rim.

Reverse: Denomination “1/12 ANNA INDIA” and date range “1904–1910 CE” arranged within a circle of beads, surrounded by an ornate decorative wreath and toothed border.

Issued during the reign of King Edward VII, the 1/12 Anna bronze coin formed part of the low-denomination currency system of British India in the early twentieth century. Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Edward VII became King-Emperor, and his portrait was introduced onto British Indian coinage. The 1/12 Anna was a very small-value denomination intended for everyday transactions and circulated widely among ordinary people in local markets, villages, and urban trading centers throughout India. Based on examples observed so far, weights of this denomination have been noted in the approximate range of 1.52 to 2.20 grams, reflecting variation among individual surviving specimens. The coins were minted at the Calcutta Mint (present-day Kolkata), one of the principal colonial mints responsible for producing British Indian coinage. Struck in bronze with a relatively thin planchet, the coin reflects the organized monetary system maintained under British administration. Its attractive wreath design on the reverse provided a distinctive and elegant appearance while clearly displaying the denomination and period of issue. These coins circulated during a period of expanding trade, railway development, and increasing economic integration across British India. Following Edward VII’s death in 1910, his coinage was replaced by issues bearing the portrait of George V. Today, the 1/12 Anna remains a historically significant collectible, representing the final years of Edwardian rule and the evolution of British India’s colonial monetary system.