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1/2 Pagoda - Venkataya Raya III
| Issuer | Vijayanagara, Empire of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1630-1641 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Deity Venkateshwara (Tirupati Balaji) depicted standing facing, shown in full figure with multiple arms outstretched in characteristic iconographic pose, set beneath an ornate arched canopy rendered in low relief. The figure is rendered in the bold, stylized manner typical of late Vijayanagara gold coinage, with the deity's crown and regalia visible at the summit of the arch. The irregular flan and hammered technique lend the design an archaic, devotional character consistent with temple-town mint production. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Devanagari |
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| Additional information |
Venkataya Raya III ruled under the regency of the powerful Dalavoy Ramaraja Ayyappa, and his reign effectively marked the terminal phase of meaningful Vijayanagara authority. The empire had never recovered from the catastrophic defeat at Talikota in 1565, and by the 1630s the court at Vellore and later Chandragiri controlled little beyond ceremonial prestige and a shrinking revenue base. Gold coinage continued — partly from institutional inertia, partly because the pagoda remained the dominant transactional denomination across the Carnatic.
The half pagoda denomination in gold was struck at fractional weight specifically to service smaller commercial transactions in a region where European trading companies were already beginning to dictate monetary terms.