Catalog
1 Kasu - Mutta Krishnappa Vishnu type
| Issuer | Kingdom of Madurai (Indian Hindu Dynasties) |
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| Year | 1601-1609 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | Full-length frontal effigy of Venkateshwara (Lord Vishnu) standing in slightly rigid hieratic posture, with multiple arms outstretched to either side. To the deity's left stands a sacrificial altar rendered as a small pillar with globular elements, and to the right rises a flag or standard surmounted by a fish emblem, an auspicious symbol associated with the Madurai Nayaka dynasty. The field is plain, and the entire design is contained within an irregular beaded border characteristic of hammered coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Telugu |
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| Additional information |
Mutta Krishnappa Nayak ruled Madurai from 1601 to 1609 as a successor within the Nayaka dynasty, which governed much of southern India as nominal vassals of the Vijayanagara empire — though by this period Vijayanagara's central authority had collapsed following the catastrophic defeat at Talikota in 1565. The Madurai Nayaks were effectively independent, and their coinage reflects that autonomy. The kasu was the base copper unit of this monetary system, struck in large numbers for everyday commerce in the Tamil country.
MSI#2 is among the earlier catalogued types for this reign, suggesting it may represent an initial issue following Krishnappa's accession.