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1/2 Larin 'Kuda' - Muhammad Imaaduddeen IV
| Issuer | Sultanate of Maldives |
|---|---|
| Year | 1836-1881 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Irregular hammered flan displaying a three-line Arabic inscription in the field, reading 'Sultan al-Barr / wa al-Bahr / Sana 1280' (Sultan of Land and Sea, year 1280 AH), the Hijri date appearing in the lower line. On the KM#35.1 standard type, the legend is presented within a border of small dots or plain rim as seen on this example, with the bold cursive script filling the flan. The date of 1280 AH corresponds to 1864 AD, one of several Hijri years struck under this sultan's long reign. |
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| Reverse lettering | سلطان البر والبحر سنة ١٢٨٠ |
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| Additional information |
The larin — a wire coinage tradition borrowed from Persian Gulf trade networks — had circulated in the Maldives for centuries before Muhammad Imaaduddeen IV's reign introduced this small cast bronze fraction. The 'Kuda' designation simply means 'small' in Dhivehi, distinguishing it from the larger larin denomination. Cast rather than struck, these pieces were produced using techniques that had changed little since the archipelago first entered Indian Ocean commerce.
KM#35 spans a reign of 45 years, meaning die consistency is essentially irrelevant — individual casting batches vary considerably in flan shape and surface quality.