Obverse: DUNCAN, STRATTON & Co. BOMBAY , tiger standing left amongst grass with palm tree behind.
Reverse: GREENWOOD & BATLEY LIMITED , ALBION WORKS LEEDS around G&B monogram.

In February 1905, Duncan Stratton & Co. of 9 Marine Street, Bombay, on behalf of H. H. the Nizam of Hyderabad's mint, ordered coin presses from Greenwood and Batley of Leeds. These presses, to strike coins of one, half, quarter and eighth rupee (2 annas), were dispatched in February 1906. The manufacturers made dies and struck 'proving pieces' to test the equipment and to 'prove' the efficiency of the minting presses to the purchasers. Proving pieces for each of the four coin sizes each bear the same designs.
Thomas Greenwood (1803-1873) and John Batley established the Greenwood and Batley partnership in 1856. They were electrical Mechanical engineers who specialised in manufacturing small arms and ammunition at the Albion Foundry, Leeds. They later moved to the Albion Works, Armley, Leeds, where this proving piece was struck. The company became Limited in 1888. They supplied coining presses and associated machinery to several foreign governments (firstly; China in 1887: at Tientsin). The Greenbat trade mark was adopted in 1967 and the company later became Greenbat Ltd., in 1973 (Hawkins 1989, pp. 552-553).
From Mitchiner, Jetons Medalets and Tokens. Vol.4 8973

Sold July 2019