The predecimal monetary system of British India was for the most part binary-based, except for the very small and very large coins. By "binary", I mean that generally coins were issued such that two of one denomination equalled one of the next largest denomination.
There were three pies to a pice, two pice to a half-anna, two half-annas to an anna, two annas to a 2-annas, two 2-annas to a 4-annas (or quarter-rupee), two quarter-rupees to a half-rupee (or 8-annas), two half-rupees to a rupee, fifteen rupees to a gold mohur.
Put more simply, there were 3 pies to a pice, 4 pice to an anna, 16 annas to a rupee, 15 rupees to a mohur.
Portuguese India issued equivalent coins, where 16 tangas equalled one rupia.
Most Indian princely states also issued coinage to this same standard, though several states had there own unique monetary systems.
When India went decimal shortly after independence, they kept the rupee as the basic monetary unit, and divided it into 100 paise.
(Edited for sllopy sppeling.)
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Edited by Sap
03/23/2008 9:52 pm
Posted 03/23/2008 1:53 pm
