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1 Cash - Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
| Issuer | Travancore, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1830 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A Shiva lingam on a pitha (base) occupies the center of the field, flanked symmetrically on either side by floral or foliate sprays, all contained within a raised inner circle. A crescent moon appears above the lingam, consistent with iconographic conventions for this devotional symbol. Below the central device, the Malayalam Era date in Malayalam numeral script is inscribed in the exergue. The entire design is enclosed by a beaded outer border. |
| Reverse script | Malayalam |
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| Additional information |
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma ascended the Travancore throne in 1829 at roughly sixteen years of age, with his mother Gowri Lakshmi Bayi serving as regent through the early years of his reign. This cash issue falls within that regency period, before he assumed direct rule. Travancore remained under British paramountcy through the Resident at Trivandrum, yet retained the right to strike its own copper coinage — a privilege jealously maintained by the kingdom throughout the nineteenth century.
Swathi Thirunal is better remembered today as a classical Carnatic composer than as an administrator, leaving behind several hundred compositions.