Catalog
1/2 Rupee - Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI
| Issuer | Travancore, Kingdom of |
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| Year | 1909-1932 |
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| Composition | Silver (.950) |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the sacred conch shell (Shankha) of Travancore, a prominent royal dynastic symbol, surmounted by a small crown and flanked on either side by two elegant sprays of laurel or floral branches, with small six-pointed stars at the lower flanks. The surrounding legend in Malayalam script reads 'തിരുവിതാങ്കൂര് അര രൂപാ' (Travancore Half Rupee), arranged around the periphery. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The overall composition is executed in a refined milled style characteristic of late 19th and early 20th century Indian princely state coinage. |
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| Obverse lettering | തിരുവിതാങ്കൂര് അര രൂപാ (Translation: Travancore Half Rupee) |
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| Additional information |
Travancore maintained one of the most technically consistent silver coinage programs among the princely states, with the .950 fineness standard held remarkably stable across decades of issue. Moolam Thirunal's reign saw the state navigate an uneasy relationship with British paramountcy — Travancore retained the right to issue coins, one of the few princely states that never surrendered that prerogative to the colonial monetary system.
KM#53 spans a 23-year production window, meaning dies and workmanship varied considerably across the run. Earlier strikes from the Trivandrum mint tend to show crisper execution than later issues.