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1 Chuckram - Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma
| Issuer | Kingdom of Travancore |
|---|---|
| Year | 1600-1860 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.37 g |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the stylized royal symbol of Travancore in a primitive hammered style. In the upper field, a diamond-shaped device (sankha or conch derivative) surmounts a crescent or bow-like element. Flanking the central motif are two pellets positioned symmetrically in the field. Below the crescent, a tripartite cluster of pellets arranged in a triangular formation occupies the lower field, with an additional row of four pellets along the lower rim, all rendered in the bold, low-relief manner characteristic of early Travancore coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features the sacred conch shell (shankha) of Travancore, depicted frontally as a stylized cluster of multiple raised pellets arranged in a rounded, dome-like grouping contained within a bold crescent or bowl-shaped border element. Below this device, a trident-like or pillar motif with vertical striations extends toward the lower rim, flanked by angular elements. A single pellet appears to the lower right of the central device. The design is executed in high relief with the irregular flan typical of hammered coinage from this princely state. |
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| Additional information |
Travancore's chuckram coinage predates the kingdom's formal consolidation under Marthanda Varma, who seized the throne in 1729 and spent the following decade absorbing rival chieftaincies by force. The attribution range of 1600–1860 reflects genuine uncertainty — these small silver pieces circulated across multiple reigns with minimal typological change, making precise dating nearly impossible without die study.
At 0.37 g, these are among the lightest silver coins produced by any Indian princely state, struck on hand-prepared flans that vary noticeably in shape.