The larin — a wire-bent coinage tradition originating in the Persian Gulf trade network — persisted in the Maldives long after it had disappeared elsewhere, largely because the islands' cowrie-shell economy operated outside the pressures that reformed currency systems on larger landmasses. Billon was a practical concession: silver was scarce in the archipelago, and the alloy content of these pieces varied considerably between issues.
KM#25 corresponds to the reign of Muhammad Ghiyasuddin, who ruled the Maldives under nominal Dutch influence during the mid-18th century.
The larin — a wire-bent coinage tradition originating in the Persian Gulf trade network — persisted in the Maldives long after it had disappeared elsewhere, largely because the islands' cowrie-shell economy operated outside the pressures that reformed currency systems on larger landmasses. Billon was a practical concession: silver was scarce in the archipelago, and the alloy content of these pieces varied considerably between issues.
KM#25 corresponds to the reign of Muhammad Ghiyasuddin, who ruled the Maldives under nominal Dutch influence during the mid-18th century.