Catalog
1 Fanam Cochin Mint
| Issuer | Dutch East India Company (VOC) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1663-1724 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 0.7 mm |
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| Obverse description | Irregular hammered gold flan bearing a stylized Vishnu symbol (Srivatsa or Urdhvapundra) rendered in bold, deeply struck relief, characteristic of South Indian fanam coinage. A prominent U-shaped Vaishnava mark dominates the central field, flanked by subsidiary decorative elements including a conch shell motif and scrollwork in the lower portion. The design is executed in a highly conventionalized manner typical of the Cochin fanam series, with no legible inscription or legend present. The field surfaces display the uneven texture inherent to hand-hammered production. The overall style reflects the Hindu iconographic tradition maintained by the VOC at the Cochin mint during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The VOC began striking fanams at Cochin after the Dutch seized the port from the Portuguese in 1663, inheriting both the mint infrastructure and a local economy already accustomed to the tiny gold denomination. Fanams had circulated along the Malabar Coast for centuries before any European power arrived, and the Dutch were pragmatic enough to continue issuing a coin the pepper and spice trade demanded rather than imposing a foreign monetary unit.
The .585 fineness matches indigenous fanam standards closely — deliberate, not incidental. Deviating from established purity would have collapsed merchant confidence immediately in a market where coin quality was tested by touch and bite daily.