following the indian mutiny in 1857, the british government took direct control of british india. since 1851, gold sovereigns were being produced in large numbers at the royal mint branch in sydney, new south wales. in the year 1864 in an attempt to make the british gold sovereign become the 'imperial coin', the treasuries in bombay and calcutta were instructed to receive gold sovereigns. these gold sovereigns however never left the vaults. as was realized in the previous decade in canada and the next year in hong kong, existing habits are not easy to replace. and just as the british government had finally given up any hopes of replacing the rupee in india with the pound sterling, they simultaneously realized, and for the same reasons, that they could not easily replace the silver dollar in the straits settlements with the indian rupee, as had been the desire of the british east india company.