What does BA-HVS mean?



On one of Christian's 4^th. Lean Coins from Trankebar, the letters on the reverse says BA-HVS. John C. F. Gray writes in his Trankebar catalog that BA-HVS refers to Bohus County in Norway, now in Sweden. This explanation I do not think is right. I think BA-HVS must have a religious Christian meaning. The reason is that BA-HVS appears in a series of four coins, the three others having understandable Christian inscriptions.
The four coins, all of which have crowned C4 on adverse are: KM 28 IHS, KM 29 GUD, KM 30 IEHOVAH and KM 31 BA HVS.

KM 28. IHS. 

KM 28 IHS: About HIS Vilhelm Bergsøe gives in his catalog "Trankebarmønter" from 1895 these possible explanations of the reverse inscription IHS. IHS denotes the first three letters in the name of Jesus (on Greek) or it is interpreted as: JESUS HORTATOR SANCTORUM (Jesus the Saints reminds) or: JESUS HOMINUM SALVATOR (Jesus Savior of Jesus) or: IN HOW SALUS (in this salvation).
The adverse of IHS is a nice detailed crown over the C4. On some HIS coins the adverse from KM 29 GUD is used.

KM 29. GUD.

KM 29 GUD: Here the reverse inscription GUD (Danish for god) is directly understandable. The front has a vaulted crown above the C4. GUD is overstrike on IHS.


KM 30 IEHOVAH . 

KM 30 IEHOVAH: Here is the reverse inscription is IEHOVAH, which comes from JAHVE = GOD.  IEHOVAH and BA HVS had the same obverse.

KM 31 BAHVS

IEHOVAH is overstrike on GUD. BAHVS is overstrike on IEHOVAH. The coins must be simultaneous and the order must be: GOD, IHS, IEHOVAH and BAHVS. These four coins belong together. The first three have religious inscriptions. Therefore it is likely that BA HVS also has a religious meaning.

These coins with religious inscriptions have been used as model for fake coins. In the years from 1922 to 1937, The Royal Coin and Medal Collection in Copenhagen is in contact an Indian priest, S. C. Abel. Abel offers Tranquebar coins for sale, and the museum in Copenhagen buys many coins. Many of these coins are unique and they are now recognized as fake. 

The Royal Coin and Medals Collection has four unique fake IHS coins, and there are two in Stockholm. The Christian message IHS is engraved on other more common lead coins. Abel has also used the BAHVS coin as inspiration for unique fake coins. Here Abel has not read BAHVS as a religious inscription. He has made a little change and it has become three coins: UBJ 43 BAR-KVS, UBJ 42 BAR-KVSU and UBJ 41 BAR-KASU. He probably meant that it should stand for Tranke-BAR KASU (Kas is an Indian coin).

It's the irony of fate. First Danish colonial officials put coins of Christian propaganda, IHS, in circulation among unsuspecting Hindus. Later, a Christian Indian priest sells fake
coins with the same message back to the old colonial land. It is difficult to determine when these coins with religious inscriptions were struck. Their obverse with crowned C4, their weights and overstrike indicate the period 1639-1644.

At that time two infamous Danish priests made havoc in Trankebar. It was Niels Andersen and Christian Pedersen Storm. They were drunkards, drank with the soldiers, and contributed to demoralizing of life in Trankebar. Drunken they ravages through the city. They mistreated people with sticks and mutilated some. They ended up mistreating a women to death.
In 1644 the two priests were imprisoned. Storm tried to bribe soldiers to relieve him and escape with him. He was sentenced to death and on the same day, he was sewn in a sack and lowered into the sea a mile from land.
Niels Andersen was also sentenced to death, but the verdict was changed and he was sentenced banishment. He was placed ashore on a deserted coast on Ceylon and was never seen again.
Why these coins of religious inscriptions have been strike in Trankebar, while the two priests' behavior gave the Danish a bad reputation throughout India, is a paradox.