It will thus be seen that, with the exception of the Sicca and the Benares rupees, the proposed standard of fineness agreed so closely with those of the other rupees that the interest of obtaining a complete uniformity without considerable dislocation overruled all possible objections to its adoption. Another consideration that seemed to have prevailed upon the Court of Directors in selecting 165 grs. [pg 13] as the standard of fineness was that, in conjunction with 180 grs. as the standard weight, the arrangement was calculated to make the rupee eleven-twelfths fine. To determine upon a particular fineness was too technical a matter for the Court of Directors. It was, however, the opinion of the British Committee on Mint and Coinage, appointed in 1803, that²⁰ “one–twelfth alloy and eleven–twelfths fine is by a variety of extensive experiments proved to be the best proportion, or at least as good as any which could have been chosen.” This standard, so authoritatively upheld, the Court desired to incorporate in their new scheme of Indian currency. They therefore desired to make the rupee eleven–twelfths fine. But to do so was also to make the rupee 165 grs. pure—a content which they desired, from the point of view stated above, the rupee to possess. ²⁰ Cf. The Despatch, op. cit., par. 9. TABLE II _Deviations of the Proposed Standard of Fineness from that of the Principal Recognized Rupees_ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Silver Coins recognized More valuable Less valuable as Principal Units and Standard than the than the their Fineness. Fineness Proposed proposed of Rupee. Rupee. ─────────────────────────── the ───────────────────────────────── Name of the Its Pure Proposed In By In By Coin. Contents. Rupee. Grs. p.c. Grs. p.c. Troy Grs. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Surat Rupee 164·74 165 — — ·26 ·157 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Arcot Rupee 166·477 165 1·477 ·887 — — ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Sicca Rupee 175·927 165 10·927 6·211 — — ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Furrukabad 166·135 165 1·135 ·683 — — R. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Benares 169·251 165 4·251 2·511 — — Rupee ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────