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1 Kasu - Krishna Devaraya
| Issuer | Vijayanagara Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1509-1529 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Kasu |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a figure of Hanuman or a deity astride a horse or elephant in profile to the right, rendered in bold relief in the characteristic crude but vigorous style of Vijayanagara copper coinage. The animal is shown in a striding pose with tail raised, occupying the majority of the flan. The surfaces show heavy granular texture typical of hammered copper issues of the period, with no surrounding legend. The irregular flan exhibits natural casting porosity consistent with 16th-century South Indian minting practice. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Krishna Devaraya's reign is widely regarded as the political and cultural apex of the Vijayanagara Empire, a period during which the kingdom controlled much of peninsular India and extracted considerable revenue from the spice trade passing through ports on both coasts. The copper kasu was the workhorse of everyday commerce in this economy — grain markets, temple offerings, small transactions that gold and silver never touched.
Krishna Devaraya died in 1529, and within two decades the empire suffered its catastrophic defeat at Talikota in 1565, after which large-scale minting effectively collapsed. Coins from his reign represent the last generation of confident, centrally administered Vijayanagara copper production.