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1 Kasu - Muthu Virappa Nayaka Madurai Nayaks - 1609-1623 AD
| Issuer | Madurai Nayak Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 1609-1623 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Kasu (1⁄800) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Crude hammered field depicting a deity figure, likely Siva or a royal symbol, rendered in low relief in the local south Indian iconographic tradition. The central motif appears to show a stylized seated or standing figure with attendant elements above, surrounded by dotted or granular border remnants. The striking is irregular and the design exhibits the characteristic shallow, uneven relief typical of Nayak copper kasu coinage. The flan is irregular and the surfaces show natural copper patination consistent with age and circulation. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | శ్రీ వీర |
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| Additional information |
Muthu Virappa Nayaka was the first ruler of the Madurai Nayak line to consolidate genuine administrative independence from the Vijayanagara Empire, whose authority had been crumbling since the catastrophic defeat at Talikota in 1565. By the time this kasu was struck, Vijayanagara's capacity to extract tribute or enforce political subordination had largely collapsed, making issues from this reign among the earliest Madurai copper to circulate under something approaching sovereign local authority. The kasu denomination itself was the workhorse of south Indian bazaar trade, changing hands for betel, rice, and small textile transactions.