1 Paisa - Chhatrapati Shivaji 1674 issue

Shivaji Bhonsle was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad in June 1674, an event that necessitated an entirely new coinage independent of Mughal authority. The paisa issues attributed to this period are among the earliest copper coins struck under the Maratha name, though attribution and precise mint assignment remain contested among specialists — the KM# 251 classification covers a range of types that are not always easily distinguished in hand.

Die workmanship across this series is notably inconsistent, a predictable consequence of newly established mints operating without settled engraving traditions.