1 Paisa - Chhatrapati Sivaji

The Maratha paisa coinage emerged from a fiscal infrastructure built almost from scratch after Shivaji's coronation at Raigad in 1674 — an event that required elaborate theological negotiation, since Brahmin authorities initially refused to recognize his Kshatriya status. Minting rights were central to that sovereignty: issuing coin was among the clearest markers of independent kingship in Mughal-era India, and Shivaji moved quickly to establish it.

The type continued well after his death in 1680, struck across a succession of Peshwa-administered mints with little standardization in execution. Considerable variation in flan preparation and striking force is normal across the series.