Tuesday 13 August 2013

COINS OF JANJIRA ISLAND,MAHARASHTRA

JANJIRA IS AN ISLAND IN RAIGAD DISTRICT ,MAHARASHTRA.
IT WAS RULED BY SIDDIS OR ABYSSINIAN MUSLIMS WHOSE ANCESTORS SERVED THE MUSLIM RULERS OF THE DECCAN AND WERE GIVEN LANDS WHICH EARNED THEM REVENUE UNDER THE ADIL SHAHS OF BIJAPUR.IN 1870  JANJIRA ISLANDS CAME UNDER THE DIRECT BRITISH RULE. 

JANJIRA HAS A FORT BY THE NAME OF MURUD-JANJIRA WHICH IS FAMOUS FOR BEING THE ONLY FORT ALONG INDIA'S WESTERN COAST THAT REMAINED UNDEFEATED DESPITE DUTCH,MARATHA AND ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY ATTACKS.
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RULERS-      - SIDI MUHAMMAD KHAN - AH 1242-1265/ 1826-1848 AD 

                     - SIDI IBRAHIM KHAN III- AH 1265-1297/ 1848- 1879 AD









RULER :  SIDI MUHAMMAD KHAN                                 
YEAR:  ND (1826-48 AD)
DENOMINATION : PAISA 
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 6.17 GRAMS
DIAMETER : 20 MM






RULER :      SIDI IBRAHIM KHAN III                            
YEAR:  AH 1284 
DENOMINATION : PAISA 
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 8.93 GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 23 MM

Tuesday 6 August 2013

COINS OF SITAMAU,MADHYA PRADESH


SITAMAU STATE WAS A PRINCELY STATE BEFORE 

INDIAN INDEPENDENCE(1947).IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1701

BY RAJA KESHO DAS,AND WAS RULED BY THE

RATHOD DYNASTY.





SITAMAU WAS A TRIBUTARY(BRANCH) TO SINDHIAS

BEFORE IT CAME UNDER THE BRITISH PROTECTION

IN THE 19TH CENTURY.

IT WAS A 11 GUN SALUTE  STATE.

___________________________________________________________

RULERS OF SITAMAU 


FATEH SINGH - VS 1859 - 1924 / 1802 - 1867 AD 

BHAWANI SINGH - VS 1924 - 1942 / 1867 - 1885 AD

BAHADUR SINGH - VS 1942 - 1956 / 1885 - 1899 AD

SHADUL SINGH - VS 1956 - 1957 / 1899 - 1900 AD









RULER :  SHADUL SINGH                              
YEAR: VS 1956 ( 1899 AD )
DENOMINATION : 1/2 PAISA 
METAL : COPPER 
WEIGHT : 3.53 GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 16 MM 





RULER :  SHADUL SINGH                              
YEAR: VS 1956 ( 1899 AD )
DENOMINATION : 1/2 PAISA 
METAL : COPPER 
WEIGHT : 4.81  GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 17 MM 

Sunday 28 July 2013

COINS OF TRAVANCORE

LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTH EAST INDIA,THE KINGDOM OF TRAVANCORE WAS A FORMER HINDU FEUDAL KNIGDOM(TILL 1858) AND INDIAN PRINCELY STATE THAT HAD BEEN RULED BY THE TRAVANCORE ROYAL FAMILY FROM THE CAPITAL AT  PADMANABHAPURAM OR THIRUVANANTHAPURAM.

THE KINGDOM OF TRAVANCORE AT ITS ZENITH COMPRISED MOST OF MODERN DAY MIDDLE AND SOUTHERN KERALA, KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT, AND THE SOUTHERN MOST PARTS OF TAMIL NADU.


THE OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE STATE WAS RED WITH A DEXTRALLY-COILED SILVER CONCH SHELL AT ITS CENTRE. THE KING OF THE STATE WAS ACCORDED 19-GUN SALUTE,THE SECOND HIGHEST AMONG THE HONORARY GUN SALUTES THAT WERE GRANTED BY THE BRITISH EMPIRE TO HONOUR THE HEADS OF THE PRINCELY STATES.

THE STATE GOVERNMENT TOOK MANY PROGRESSIVE STEPS IN THE SOCIO ECONOMIC FRONT AND THE STATE WAS ONE AMONG THE BEST PRINCELY STATES, WITH REPUTED ACHIEVEMENTS IN EDUCATION,POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC WORK AND SOCIAL REFORMS.

KING MARTHANDA VARMA ( 1729-1758) FOUNDED THE MODERN KINGDOM OF TRAVANCORE BY MILITARILY EXPANDING THE KINGDOM OF VENAD.

HE HAILED FROM THE KINGDOM OF THRIPPAPPUR,ONE OF THE BRANCHES OF THE VENAD ROYAL FAMILY WHO TRACE THEIR ORIGIN BACK TO THE AY KINGDOM AND LATER CHERA KINGDOM.

IN 1741, TRAVANCORE WON THE BATTLE OF COLACHEL AGAINST THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY, RESULTING IN THE COMPLETE ECLIPSE OF DUTCH POWER IN THE REGION. IN THIS BATTLE,THE ADMIRAL OF THE DUTCH, EUSTACHIUS DE LANNOY,WAS CAPTURED, LATER HE JOINED THE TRAVANCORE ARMY AND ROSE UP TO BECOME THE COMMANDER OF THE TRAVANCORE FORCES AND MODERNISED THE TRAVANCORE ARMY BY INTRODUCING BETTER FIREARMS,ARTILLERY AND THE EUROPEAN STYLE OF MILITARY DRILLS AND DISCIPLINE.

THE TRAVANCORE-DUTCH WAR(1739-1753) IS THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE OF AN ASIAN STATE OVERCOMING A EUROPEAN POWER IN WAR.

TRAVANCORE  BECAME THE MOST DOMINANT STATE IN THE KERALA REGION BY DEFEATING THE POWERFUL ZAMORIN OF CALICUT IN THE BATTLE AT PURAKKAD.

RAMAYYAN DALAWA,THE PRIME MINISTER(1737-1756) OF MARTHANDA VARMA,ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS CONSOLIDATION AND EXPANSION, TRAVANCORE OFTEN ALLIED WITH THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY IN MILITARY CONFLICTS.

DURING THE REIGN OF DHARMA RAJA,MARTHANDA VARMA'S SUCCESSOR,TIPU SULTAN,THE DE FACTO RULER OF  KINGDOM  OF  MYSORE AND THE SON OF HYDER ALI, ATTACKED TRAVANCORE AS  A  PART OF THE MYSOREAN  INVASION OF  KERALA,THIS LED TO THE THIRD ANGLO- MYSORE WAR,AS TRAVANCORE WAS AN ALLY OF THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY.

IN 1804 AND 1808-09,TRAVANCORE WITNESSED TWO ARMED REBELLIONS,THE FIRST ONE DIRECTED AGAINST THE THEN PRIME MINISTER OF TRAVANCORE, VELU THAMPI DALAWA AND THE SECOND ONE AGAINST THE EAST INDIA COMPANY UNDER  THE  LEADERSHIP OF VELU  THAMPI  DALAWA.
FOLLOWING DALAWA VELU THAMPI'S REQUEST, THE 1805 REBELLION WAS PUT DOWN BY THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY AND THE COMPANY'S FORCES PUT DOWN THAMPI'S OWN 1808-09 REBELLION. BOTH OF THESE WERE NOT DIRECTED AGAINST THE KING,WHO DID NOT ACTIVELY GET INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE TWO,TILL THE ISSUE HAD BEEN DECIDED.

CHITHIRA THIRUNAL,THE LAST KING OF TRAVANCORE, MADE THE TEMPLE ENTRY PROCLAMATION IN 1936 ABOLISHING THE BAN ON LOW-CASTE PEOPLE FROM ENTERING HINDU TEMPLES.

AT THE SAME TIME C.P.RAMASWAMI IYER,CHITHIRA THIRUNAL'S PRIME MINISTER IS REMEMBERED FOR THE RUTHLESS SUPPRESSION OF A LOCAL STRUGGLE ORGANISED BY THE COMMUNISTS,KNOW AS THE PUNNAPRA- VAYALAR UPRISING.

WHEN UNITED KNIGDOM ACCEPTED DEMANDS FOR A PARTITION AND ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION TO QUIT INDIA,THE KING OF TRAVANCORE,CHITHIRA THIRUNAL, ISSUED A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ON 18TH JUNE 1947. THE DECLARATION WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, MANY ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATION WERE CONDUCTED AMONG THE DIWAN, C.P.RAMASWAMI IYER,AND THE INDIAN REPRESENTATIVES. ON 23RD JULY 1947 THEY DECIDED IN FAVOUR OF THE ACCESSION TO THE INDIAN UNION,PENDING APPROVAL BY THE KING.

AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE DIWAN BY THE COMMUNISTS ON 25 TH JULY CAUSED TO HASTEN THE ACCESSION OF TRAVANCORE STATE TO THE INDIAN UNION.
TRAVANCORE AND THE PRINCELY STATE OF COCHIN MERGED ON 1ST JULY TO FORM THE INDIAN STATE OF TRAVANCORE-COCHIN.
LATER TRAVANCORE-COCHIN JOINED WITH THE MALABAR DISTRICT OF MADRAS STATE, ON 1ST NOVEMBER 1956, TO FORM THE INDIAN STATE OF KERALA.

RULERS OF TRAVANCORE


BALA RAMA VARMA I - ME 973-986 /  1798-1810 AD 

RANI PARVATHI BAI,REGENT - ME 990-1004 / 1815 - 1829 AD
RAMA VARMA III - ME 1004 - 1022 / 1829 - 1847 AD
MARTANDA VARMA II - ME 1022 - 1035 / 1847 - 1860 AD
RAMA VARMA IV - ME 1035 - 1055 / 1860 - 1880 AD
RAMA VARMA V - ME 1057 - 1062 / 1880 - 1885 AD
RAMA VARMA VI - ME 1062 - 1101 / 1885 - 1924 AD
SETHU LAKSHMI BAYI ( REGENT) - ME 1101- 1107 / 1924 - 1931 AD
BALA RAMA VARMA II - ME 1101 - 1126 / 1924 - 1949 AD


MONETARY SYSTEM 


16 CASH ( KASU ) = 1 CHUCKRAM 
4 CHUCKRAM = 1 FANAM
2 FANAMS = 1 ANANTARAYA
7 FANAMS = 1 RUPEE
52 1/2 FANAM = 1 PAGODA

DATING 


ME - MALABAR ERA 

ADD 824 0R 825 TO THE ME DATE FOR THE AD DATE 
( I.E. ME 1112 PLUS 824-825 = 1936-37)




0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Malayalam numerals


________________________________________________________





RULER :  RAMA VARMA IV                            
YEAR:ND 
DENOMINATION :ONE CHUCKRUM
METAL :SILVER
WEIGHT :0.40 GRAMS 
DIAMETER :7 MM
____________________________________________



RULER : RAMA VARMA VI                            
YEAR: ND (1901-10)
DENOMINATION : ONE CASH 
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 0.61 GRAMS
DIAMETER : 11 MM

_________________________________________________________



RULER : RAMA VARMA VI                              
YEAR: ND (1901-10 AD )
DENOMINATION : 4 CASH 
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 2.52 GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 18 MM

_______________________________________




RULER :  RAMA VARMA VI                                 
YEAR: ND ( 1906-35)
DENOMINATION : 8 CASH 
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 4.93 GRAMS
DIAMETER : 22 MM


_______________________________________________________




RULER :   RAMA VARMA VI                                
YEAR: ND (1906-35 )
DENOMINATION : ONE CHUCKRUM
METAL : COPPER
WEIGHT : 9.92 GRAMS
DIAMETER : 26 MM

__________________________________________



RULER :  RAMA VARMA VI                            
YEAR: ND (1901)
DENOMINATION : 2 CHUCKRUMS 
METAL : SILVER 
WEIGHT : 0.71 GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 11 MM

_________________________________________



RULER :  BALA RAMA VARMA II                              
YEAR: ND ( 1938-49)
DENOMINATION : 8 CASH 
METAL : BRONZE
WEIGHT : 3.82 GRAMS
DIAMETER : 22 MM

_______________________________________



RULER :  BALA RAMA VARMA II                            
YEAR: ND (1939-40)
DENOMINATION : ONE CHUCKRUM 
METAL : BRONZE 
WEIGHT : 7.64 GRAMS 
DIAMETER : 26.5 MM

_________________________________________




RULER : BALA RAMA VARMA II                            
YEAR: ME 1116 ( 1940-41 AD )
DENOMINATION : ONE FANAM
METAL : SILVER ( 0.50 FINENESS)
WEIGHT : 1.50 GRAMS 

DIAMETER : 15.5 MM

__________________________________________











































Thursday 11 April 2013

WHY COLLECT COINS



WHY COLLECT :- SINCE 6TH CENTURY BC ,COINS HAVE BEEN MINTED AND USED IN INDIA.THEY KEPT CHANGING HANDS,AND WENT ON FROM ONE  TO ANOTHER AS PEOPLE TRAVELLED WITH THEM TO DIFFERENT PLACES.THE COINS KEPT UP WITH THE JOURNEY AND ADDED A LOT OF DESIGN,LANGUAGES,SYMBOLS ETC ON TO THEM.THIS MADE THEM VERY INTERESTING TO LOOK AT.KINGS PREFERED TO HAVE THEIR OWN DESIGNS,AND EACH ONE LOOKED BETTER WITH THE CHANGING TIMES.THE FIRST COINS OF INDIA WERE THE PUNCH-MARKED COINS BY MAHAJANAPADAS AROUND THE 6TH CENTURY BC TO 2ND CENTURY BC.THEY  WERE IRREGULAR IN SHAPE AND HAD SYMBOLS ON THEM.

SINCE THEN TILL THE PRESENT DAY VARIOUS COINS OF VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS,SHAPES,METAL USED,ETC BY DIFFERENT DYNASTIES,RULERS FROM INDIA,AS WELL AS THE FOREIGN RULERS WHO RULED INDIA FORM SUCH A VAST CORPUS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERIOD,THE PEOPLE,THE TIMES THEY LIVED IN.AND HUGE STORIES THAT ARE NOT ONLY INTERESTING,BUT INFORMATIVE AND GOOD TO LOOK AT AND IMAGINE THE FEELING OF TOUCHING THE COINS CENTURIES OLD,WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY PEOPLE OF THOSE TIMES,OR MAYBE THE KING HIMSELF.

THE BEAUTY OF COINS FROM DIFFERENT ERAS GIVE YOU A GOOD MENTAL FEELING WHEN U HANDLE IT,AND RELEASING A LOT OF EVERYDAY STRESS IN OUR LIVES.

THE SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION OF COINS WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP PATIENCE IN LIFE,AS THEY CAN ONLY BE ACQUIRED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME,AND KEEP ADDING AND KEEP LOOKING THEREBY KEEPING YOU ENGAGED MENTALLY,GREASING YOUR BRAINS TO WORK IN TOP CONDITION.
COLLECTING COINS WILL HELP YOU GATHER WEALTH OVER A PERIOD OF TIME,WITH GOOD QUALITY,AND RARE COINS.LIKE ANY OTHER INVESTMENT,THEY TOO WILL GIVE YOU  GOOD DECENT RETURNS IF DONE WITH SOME GOOD JUDGEMENT.

COINS WHICH ARE BOUGHT SOME YEARS AGO HAVE GIVEN MONETARY GAINS ALWAYS,SILVER AND GOLD BOTH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN USED TO MAKE COINS SINCE THE EARLY AGES AND TILL DATE HAVE BEEN IN GREAT DEMAND.
BUYING SILVER COINS FROM LOCAL JEWELLERS  DURING FESTIVALS AND ADDING TO THEM IS ALSO A NORMAL TRADITION WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITIES IN INDIA.
IN SHORT THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO COLLECT AND SPEND EVERY LAST RUPEE YOU HAVE AND STILL BE LEFT WITH SOME MONEY.
YOU WILL NEVER BE SHORT OF MONEY.

HAPPY COLLECTING.


HOW TO AND WHAT TO COLLECT:- A BIG QUESTION FOR A NEW COIN COLLECTOR,ANSWER-START WITH ANYTHING YOU CAN LAY UR HANDS ON TO IN THE BEGINNING.
GET INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL COIN CLUBS IN YOUR AREA,AND BE A MEMBER.THEY HAVE REGULAR TALK SHOWS AND ACTIVITIES WHICH CAN HELP YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH DEALERS,COLLECTORS,ETC.
COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF COINS WHICH CAN BE PROCURED EASILY,FOR EXAMPLE PRINCELY STATES,SULTANS,MUGHAL PERIOD,THE BRITISH ERA,ETC.
SUPPOSE YOU HAVE STARTED GETTING INTERESTED IN BRITISH INDIA COINS(EASY FOR THE NEW COLLECTOR),UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS,AND RULERS INVOLVED,THE DATES IN WHICH THEY WERE MINTED.

LOOK OUT FOR THE RARE ONES WHEN YOU ARE BUYING THEM FROM A FLEA MARKET(I HAVE GOT A LOT OF SCARCE COINS FOR VERY CHEAP PRICES,MANY TIMES ),ETC WHERE SOMETIMES THEY GO UNNOTICED EVEN BY THE TRAINED EYE.START BY BUYING GOOD CONDITION THAT IS AVAILABLE,AND KEEP ON UPGRADING UR COIN WHEN YOU GET A BETTER ONE IN FUTURE.
LEARN HOW TO LOOK OUT FOR A PARTICULAR MINT IN A PARTICULAR DENOMINATION.KEEP THEM IN ALBUMS SO THAT THEY ARE EASY TO LOCATE AND PLEASING TO LOOK AT,WITH A DATE AND MINT IF POSSIBLE,SO AS TO KNOW WHICH ONES ARE TO BE THE NEXT ONES YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR.

IN THE MEAN TIME MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE COLLECTING SIMILAR ERA COINS,GET AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT COINS FROM THEM.TELL UR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES ABOUT YOUR HOBBY,TELL THEM TO GIVE YOU THE ONES THEY FIND IS NOT OF THEIR INTEREST,SO AS TO ADD SOME TO YOURS.EXCHANGE THE EXTRAS THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE ONES YOU DONT HAVE.

BUY GOOD BOOKS FOR READING AS THEY ARE YOUR BEST GUIDES,THERE ARE A NUMBER OF E-BOOKS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD.
YOU CAN ALSO KEEP SMALL DESCRIPTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU REGARDING YOUR COLLECTION,GET UR COINS IDENTIFIED FOR ANY DIE VARIETIES,ETC,HEREBY ADDING YOUR COLLECTION AND GAINING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU OWN.
YOU CAN ALSO COLLECT MANY DIFFERENT ERA COINS AT THE SAME TIME, THE JOY OF GETTING YOUR HANDS ON TO A GOOD COIN CAN ONLY BE EXPERIENCED.

JOIN THE JOURNEY TO HAPPINESS UNLIMITED.