1/2 Paisa - Sayaji Rao III

Sayaji Rao III came to the Baroda throne in 1875 at age twelve after the British deposed his predecessor, Malhar Rao, for chronic misrule and an alleged attempt to poison the Resident. The young Gaekwad proved a reformer — abolishing forced labor, expanding primary education, and eventually establishing a free public library system that drew international attention. These fractional copper issues circulated through that transformation, passing through markets the state was actively trying to modernize.

Y#23 was struck across more than a decade without year-specific die dating on the coin itself, making precise attribution within the series dependent on die study rather than inscription.