The Indian 1945 Large 5 Rupee

PCGS - The British India Rupee has always been one of the most sought-after coins among collectors of Indian coinage. With over 250 coins to collect for a complete date-and-mint set of business-strike rupees spanning from 1835 to 1947, including varieties, it is among the most challenging Indian coin sets in Mint State grades - tough even for the most seasoned collectors. To put this into perspective, one rupee coin dated 1862 has over 100 varieties, including those classified as minor and major. With new varieties being discovered each year, it's essentially a never-ending set.


The 1945 Large 5 India One Rupee, one of several denominations of that year sporting the scarce Large 5 date format.

The 1945 Large 5 Rupee of King George VI is one such coin that is missing from several sets in Mint State condition. The one rupee coin bearing the effigy of King George VI was struck from 1938 through 1945 in a silver composition and was produced in nickel in 1947.

The obverse was designed from a model by Percy Metcalfe and was sent to India by The Royal Mint. The coin features the crowned head of the king facing left and surrounded by the legend "GEORGE VI KING EMPEROR," all within a raised, toothed rim.

The reverse is similar to that used on the rupee of King George V designed by Percy Brown but remodeled by the Calcutta engraver, A.P. Spencer. It features the legend within a single-line circle, surrounded by a Saracenic scroll composed of conventional representations of a rose, thistle, and shamrock. At the top and bottom are different representations of the Indian lotus flower. All this is set within another plain circle and contained within a raised, decorative border.

In 1945, the coin was struck at the mints in Bombay and Lahore. The coins minted showed a little variation on how the 5 of 1945 was moving. While on one the numeral 5 appears to be closed (the Small 5 variety), on the other it appeared to be open (the Large 5 variety). This variation could be seen on the coins minted from both mints, with the ones from Lahore Mint tougher to find. The same varieties can also be found among half rupees and quarter rupees. While the Closed 5 - the Small 5 variety - is common for all these denominations from both the mints, finding a Mint State example of the Open 5 - the large 5 variety - remains a challenge, with the exception of the quarter rupee hailing from the Bombay Mint.

The Large 5 Quarter Rupee of the Lahore Mint is the toughest of all. For reference, the rarity of the Large 5 goes up from the 1945 Bombay Quarter Rupee, 1945 Bombay One Rupee, 1945 Lahore One Rupee, 1945 Lahore Half Rupee, 1945 Bombay Half Rupee, 1945 Lahore Quarter Rupee.

Check out Indian 1945 Large 5 Rupees on ebay.