Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 1/4 Rupee 1960-1978, KM# 36, Mauritius, Elizabeth II
  • 1/4 Rupee 1960-1978, KM# 36, Mauritius, Elizabeth II
Description

British Mauritius was a British crown colony. Formerly part of the French colonial empire, the crown colony of Mauritius was established after a British invasion in 1810 and the subsequent Treaty of Paris that followed. It later gained independence as a Commonwealth realm on 12 March 1968.

Obverse

First crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the stylized heraldic Tudor Crown.

The Tudor Crown, also known as the King's Crown or Imperial Crown, is a widely used symbol in heraldry of the United Kingdom. While various crown symbols had been used for this purpose for many years previously, the specific Tudor Crown design was standardised at the request of Edward VII. It was never intended to represent any actual physical crown, although in shape it bears a close resemblance to the small diamond crown of Queen Victoria.

Upon the accession of Elizabeth II, she requested the design to be replaced with a representation of the St Edward's Crown (with depressed arches) which she wore at her coronation. Many, though not all, of the derived designs around the world were updated to match.

This portrait appeared on the obverse of the coins of Britain's colonies and dependencies (including Jersey), while only Britain and the Dominions (Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa) were allowed to use the uncrowned effigy.

Engraver: Cecil Thomas

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND

Reverse

Crown above 3 emblems: Lotus flower, fleur-de-lis (stylized lily) and Tudor Rose.

The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.

When Henry VII took the crown of England from Richard III in battle (1485), he brought the end of the retrospectively dubbed "Wars of the Roses" between the House of Lancaster (one monarch of which had sometimes used the badge of a red or gold rose) and the House of York (which had lately used a white-rose badge). Henry's father was Edmund Tudor from the House of Richmond (maternally), and his mother was Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster; in January 1486 he married Elizabeth of York to bring all factions together. (In battle, Richard III fought under the banner of the boar, and Henry under the banner of the dragon of his native Wales.) The white rose versus red rose juxtaposition was Henry's invention.

Engraver: George Edward Kruger Gray

★ MAURITIUS ★
K G
QUARTER·RUPEE·1978

Edge

1/4 Rupee

1st portrait, British colony
KM# 36 Schön# 24
Characteristics
Material Cupronickel
Weight 2.95 g
Diameter 19 mm
Thickness 1.3 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal

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