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FRAUD COMPANIES AND TESTERS OF CALCUTTA(and other places) There are some government funded research organizations in Western countries who buy just about any item with rare qualities, not necessarily just the Lebbo Coins, for the purpose of research and application in various industries. Many organizations with vast funds for research and development buy materials from all corners of the globe for application in medicine, satellite technology, space-science, robotics, bio-technology, etc. It all depends on what you have to sell, what they want, how you convince them, what need they see in their research for your item of sale etc. But as far as testers go, there is a big racket in India that deserves a warning to all readers of this page. There is a general belief that testers of rare materials normally possess some esoteric knowledge that cannot be questioned by common man. Many racketeers, mainly from Calcutta, have been making a fortune in this trade. These so-called 'Testers' from Calcutta (and other places) do not speak a single sentence in English. One wonders in which language they learnt science? They are barely matriculates, and have no knowledge of the basic perimeters of scientific testing. They have never studied physics or chemistry, and have never heard of Archaeology, Metallurgy, astronomy or cosmology. Who taught them to test? What qualifies them as testers? What are the credentials of the company that made such illiterate persons testers? Tell me, which company or foreign government is going to pay hundreds of crores based on these testers' knowledge or ability? How can you hand over a valuable material for testing to an illiterate racketeer? Would you allow your sick child to be examined by someone who simply claims to be a doctor? If you check the credentials of the testers and appraisers you will find that none of them represent any genuine or registered company. The company they claim to represent will not be registered with the Ministry of Company Affairs, Ministry of Commerce or the Chamber of Commerce anywhere in India or the world. They don't have a web-site or visiting-card. Ask them why, and they will tell you that "it is a secret". Ask them to show you their company license and you will find they are ready to vanish. The joke is when you ask them to describe what they are testing, what results they expect and why such result is expected? The answer they will always give is "it is a secret." Some of them also print visiting cards of existing companies. One fraud gang had locally registered a company calling themselves "East India Company". Many print visiting cards of existing auction companies like Heritage Auctions, USA, Sotheby's and Christies, London,etc. So, what is this entire racket about? Normally what happens is as follows. Someone discovers or is in possession of an item which shows some unusual phenomena. It may be some rare material that shows some unusual characteristic or functions. There are some organizations around the world, especially in Western countries who often buy these materials for various research purposes. They may even pay a fancy and exorbitant price for it purely based on its rarity, historical / antique value, research importance or even resale / auction value. As the news of this rare item spreads, someone possessing a considerable amount of money, a financier, comes forward to "invest". This person is willing to risk a large sum of money to acquire such an item, purely in the hope of re-selling it to a genuine overseas buyer for a huge profit. This is the stage at which various racketeers and mediators enter the fray. The mediators are desperately on the hunt for a genuine buyer so that the transaction goes through. Naturally, anyone claiming to represent some UK, US or German company is given a chance to examine the unusual item. For this a "testing fee" of a few lakhs is made mandatory. In desperation the fee is paid to the tester, who arrives from Calcutta (or some other place). He arrives with a lot of self-importance, company rules and warnings of secrecy. For this tester everything is assured. The testing fee has already been pocketed by him. All he needs to do is go through the motions of doing a test. He normally indulges in a lot of unscientific nonsense, wastes a few hours with the item and the "testing-equipment" and departs after making one of the following proclamations - "the test has failed" "the item has failed" "the item is a fake" "the fresh-milk test has failed" or "the somersaulting monkey test has failed" (some new tests of his own invention) "this is not exactly what my company is looking for." "item may be genuine, so keep it till I go back and bring some chemicals"(be ready now to pay for the chemicals) And so on. The racket never fails for them. The owner/seller or the financier will definitely lose money. But not these testers. Beware! There are an equally large number of scamsters trying to sell fake products claiming unusual properties and phenomena. This is the reason why genuine buyers do not wish to invest their time and money in chasing various claims in India. Ofcourse for the fake tester the more fake products the better, as it is easier to collect testing fees and proclaim the item to be a fake. For him business booms as long as there are fake claims. How To Test A Tester? As in any other conventional business, the competency of a person involved in a transaction can and must be tested. Do not be afraid to ask any of the following questions. Or any question you deem fit to satisfy yourself. For example, ask the tester- Have you informed your company of your visit to our office today? In other words, is this an official visit on your part? Name the purchasing company you represent, their web-site etc. Show us your visiting card, or a card of the company. Show us your ID card issued by the company you represent. Show us the Letter of Authority issued by the company indicating your competency to test any such material. Proof of any such transactions you (or your company) have done in the past. Can you provide us your office / residential address, land-line phone numbers, mobile number? Please state your educational qualification in the field of science, history or archaeology (and/or other subjects) qualifying you to test such materials. Please state the purpose for which your company wishes to acquire such materials. Can you show us fund proof of your company's intention and ability to purchase? Why is money required to be paid by us for something your company wants to buy? Other questions you can ask depends on the conversation the tester makes with you. They often talk of iridium, radio-activity, magnetism, chemical tests, activity tests etc. Take the lead from his own conversation to ask him some pointed questions. What is iridium? What is the atomic number of Iridium? What is the color of iridium? What is the so-called 'power' in such materials - is it magnetism, electro-magnetism, radio-activity, micro-wave radio frequency, etc..? Why do unusual phenomena occur? For example, why does a torch discharge? Why does water temperature increase? Why does power-supply flicker or trip? What is the chemical composition of the chemical/powder that will be used for the tests? If you cannot or do not wish to comply to, or answer any of the above, can you deposit Rs So-much to establish your authenticity as a tester, buyer or buyer's representative? If he is there only to fool you, he will now get up and leave. Moral of the story.There are 3% buyers and 97% scamsters. Be sure you filter them carefully if you have a genuinely rare material to sell. Wait as long as it takes to locate a genuine buyer overseas. Make sure you have fund-proof or credentials of the buyer. If you are unsure about the quality, demand, price or rarity of your own material, confirm that first. Sometimes it is worth saving all the heartburn and headache and selling it off locally to a buyer who you are sure has the money you need rather than waiting for years to sell it to an elusive overseas buyer who may not pay the jacked-up price the mediators in India are dreaming of.
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Who were the reciepients of the copper iridium lebbo coins issued by the British East India Company in 1616?
You are assuming that the East India Company "introduced" Lebbo coins in 1616, a story being propagated by half-informed rumour-mongers. There is no numismatic record of the East India Company having issued such coins for the purpose of trade. There were no such "coins" introduced either in the form of currency or as legal tender. The lebbo coin exists, but the story is quite different from what is often rumoured. First of all it must be understood that the Lebbo was not a coin. It was not intended for trade. It was created from an alloy of metals found in a meteorite, and the British were involved in its manufacture only because they had a small gun-factory at Surat that these Indian metallurgists were allowed to use by order of the King of Surat. The British involvement can be noted by the English alphabets occurring on one face of the so-called "coin". In 1616, The East India Company consisted of a hand-full of sailors. They were not in power. They had not even conceived of the idea of ruling India. They were a small group of businessmen begging the King of Surat for some land to establish their godowns. They had not even traveled to or seen the rest of India. Most of India was ruled by the Mughals (Jahangir). Where was the question of the East India Company issuing coins in India? NUMISMATIC COINS - First let us understand how coins as a means of trade evolved. It is very difficult to know today where the concept of coinage first evolved, but based on available evidences, it appears that the concept of money (as coins, which by definition here would be a piece of metal of defined weight stamped with symbol of authority for financial transaction), was conceived by three different civilizations independently and almost simultaneously. Coins were introduced as a means to trade things of daily usage in Asia minor, India and China in 6th century BC. Most historians agree that the first coins of world were issued by Greeks living in Lydia and Ionia (located on the western coast of modern Turkey). These first coins were globules of Electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. These were crude coins of definite weight stamped with incuse punches issued by the local authorities in 650 BC. Most likely the first coins of India were minted just before 5th century BC in northern and central India. Although, few historian have suggested (based on vedic records) that India minted perhaps the first coins of the world which were introduced even earlier than Lydian/Ionian coins, in 8th century BC; most western scholars do not agree with this theory. Both, literary and archaeological evidence confirm that the Indians invented coinage somewhere between 5th to 6th century BC. THE LEBBO - Coming back to your question of the Lebbo "coin", it must be understood that India had innumerable medals, medallions, talismans, temple-tokens, royal tokens, engraved metals, punch-marked coins, value-redeemable metal seals, leather coins, lockets etc., that do not necessarily conform to standard numismatics but which were being produced in every kingdom and region for 2000 years before the British landed in India. Many are still being discovered. Because they were manufactured, minted or cast in small quantities, because they served some purpose (as a reward, as a religious ceremony, as a gift during weddings, etc.) other than trade, their history is often very difficult to trace. But this does not mean that they didn't exist. However, as with alchemy and ayurveda, experiments were conducted by scholars utilizing various metals, herbs and naturally occurring elements for the purpose of studying medicine, chemistry etc. Much of what is often rumored about the lebbo coin is heresy, though some are very true. So what is true? (1) Yes, they were made in a gun-foundry in Surat (2) The purpose for their manufacture is not known. The British assumed it was for some local religious purpose, but the Englishmen were allowed to put their insignia on one side of the coin. A fault in the mould caused "EIC" to become "EID" (3) Its manufacture was done based on some ancient Sanskrit texts. (4) Detailed astronomical study was done before its manufacture. (5) eight "pairs" of coins were made (6) They were made during a solar eclipse as per the instructions in the text. For some unknown reason the sixteen pieces were believed to have been transported to the Andaman Islands some years later, and believed to have been lost in the jetty in what later came to be known as Port Blair. Many believe that people involved in the manufacture in 1616 were struck by unknown disease. At the time when they were made, they were not called "lebbo". This was a name given after 1945 by some researchers. It is an abbreviation for "Light Emitting Bionic Bi-polar Orb" a code name for a specific application they had developed in Germany during the Nazi regime. Some of these coins show peculiar characteristics, which is not surprising considering they were made of rare and unknown alloy mixed with copper. They have antique, curio and intrinsic value if a genuine one can be found. It is rumored that they emit radiation and may be radio-active. Which makes it illegal to possess them. Some attribute unimaginable value to it which is not realistic. I have examined many fakes in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. On one occasion I examined a genuine Lebbo coin which showed some form of radiation, causing dry cells to corrupt, interfering with electrical and electronic equipment and causing mild changes in water temperature when it is immersed in it. Out of curiosity I checked the metal piece many times. The results were however never consistent and sometimes very anomalous. It was oval and weighed about 154 gms. I refused to either get involved in its trading or in any transaction related to it. The Lebbo is a current rage among collectors. It is also a vehicle for racketeers who form so-called "Companies" and collect "testing fees" from gullible investors, posing as buyers. Some Govt. agencies - from namely the UK, USA and West Germany (before unification) showed interest in some scientific applications utilizing these coins in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nothing much is known about these enquiries since. Today there is a mix of mystery, truth, rumors and some ridiculous claims surrounding the Lebbo coins. CONCLUSION - Personally I know they exist. I have tested one that appeared to be genuine. There was no trickery involved as I tested it on my own with full freedom to form my own opinion. It was exactly as described in some magazine articles I had read many years ago. It had "1616" on it and it also showed a fault in the mould (EID), two snakes, three points, the sun, moon, stars etc. It was hand-made. And it weighed about 154 gms.
Did the coin introduced in 1616 by east India company it was 82 grams of lebbo coin details in 1616?
Your question is not very clear. You are assuming that the East India Company "introduced" Lebbo coins in 1616, a story being propagated by half-informed rumour-mongers. There is no numismatic record of the East India Company having issued such coins for the purpose of trade. There were no such "coins" introduced either in the form of currency or as legal tender. The lebbo coin exists, but the story is quite different from what is often rumoured. First of all it must be understood that the Lebbo was not a coin. It was not intended for trade. It was created from an alloy of metals found in a meteorite, and the British were involved in its manufacture only because they had a small gun-factory at Surat that these Indian metallurgists were allowed to use by order of the King of Surat. The British involvement can be noted by the English alphabets occurring on one face of the so-called "coin". In 1616, The East India Company consisted of a hand-full of sailors. They were not in power. They had not even conceived of the idea of ruling India. They were a small group of businessmen begging the King of Surat for some land to establish their godowns. They had not even traveled to or seen the rest of India. Most of India was ruled by the Mughals (Jahangir). Where was the question of the East India Company issuing coins in India? NUMISMATIC COINS - First let us understand how coins as a means of trade evolved. It is very difficult to know today where the concept of coinage first evolved, but based on available evidences, it appears that the concept of money (as coins, which by definition here would be a piece of metal of defined weight stamped with symbol of authority for financial transaction), was conceived by three different civilizations independently and almost simultaneously. Coins were introduced as a means to trade things of daily usage in Asia minor, India and China in 6th century BC. Most historians agree that the first coins of world were issued by Greeks living in Lydia and Ionia (located on the western coast of modern Turkey). These first coins were globules of Electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. These were crude coins of definite weight stamped with incuse punches issued by the local authorities in 650 BC. Most likely the first coins of India were minted just before 5th century BC in northern and central India. Although, few historian have suggested (based on vedic records) that India minted perhaps the first coins of the world which were introduced even earlier than Lydian/Ionian coins, in 8th century BC; most western scholars do not agree with this theory. Both, literary and archaeological evidence confirm that the Indians invented coinage somewhere between 5th to 6th century BC. THE LEBBO - Coming back to your question of the Lebbo "coin", it must be understood that India had innumerable medals, medallions, talismans, temple-tokens, royal tokens, engraved metals, punch-marked coins, value-redeemable metal seals, leather coins, lockets etc., that do not necessarily conform to standard numismatics but which were being produced in every kingdom and region for 2000 years before the British landed in India. Many are still being discovered. Because they were manufactured, minted or cast in small quantities, because they served some purpose (as a reward, as a religious ceremony, as a gift during weddings, etc.) other than trade, their history is often very difficult to trace. But this does not mean that they didn't exist. However, as with alchemy and ayurveda, experiments were conducted by scholars utilizing various metals, herbs and naturally occurring elements for the purpose of studying medicine, chemistry etc. Much of what is often rumored about the lebbo coin is heresy, though some are very true. So what is true? (1) Yes, they were made in a gun-foundry in Surat (2) The purpose for their manufacture is not known. The British assumed it was for some local religious purpose, but the Englishmen were allowed to put their insignia on one side of the coin. A fault in the mould caused "EIC" to become "EID" (3) Its manufacture was done based on some ancient Sanskrit texts. (4) Detailed astronomical study was done before its manufacture. (5) eight "pairs" of coins were made (6) They were made during a solar eclipse as per the instructions in the text. For some unknown reason the sixteen pieces were believed to have been transported to the Andaman Islands some years later, and believed to have been lost in the jetty in what later came to be known as Port Blair. Many believe that people involved in the manufacture in 1616 were struck by unknown disease. At the time when they were made, they were not called "lebbo". This was a name given after 1945 by some researchers. It is an abbreviation for "Light Emitting Bionic Bi-polar Orb" a code name for a specific application they had developed in Germany during the Nazi regime. Some of these coins show peculiar characteristics, which is not surprising considering they were made of rare and unknown alloy mixed with copper. They have antique, curio and intrinsic value if a genuine one can be found. It is rumored that they emit radiation and may be radio-active. Which makes it illegal to possess them. Some attribute unimaginable value to it which is not realistic. I have examined many fakes in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. On one occasion I examined a genuine Lebbo coin which showed some form of radiation, causing dry cells to corrupt, interfering with electrical and electronic equipment and causing mild changes in water temperature when it is immersed in it. Out of curiosity I checked the metal piece many times. The results were however never consistent and sometimes very anomalous. It was oval and weighed about 154 gms. I refused to either get involved in its trading or in any transaction related to it. The Lebbo is a current rage among collectors. It is also a vehicle for racketeers who form so-called "Companies" and collect "testing fees" from gullible investors, posing as buyers. Some Govt. agencies - from namely the UK, USA and West Germany (before unification) showed interest in some scientific applications utilizing these coins in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nothing much is known about these enquiries since. Today there is a mix of mystery, truth, rumors and some ridiculous claims surrounding the Lebbo coins. CONCLUSION - Personally I know they exist. I have tested one that appeared to be genuine. There was no trickery involved as I tested it on my own with full freedom to form my own opinion. It was exactly as described in some magazine articles I had read many years ago. It had "1616" on it and it also showed a fault in the mould (EID), two snakes, three points, the sun, moon, stars etc. It was hand-made. And it weighed about 154 gms.
