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1 Puttun - Cochin British Protectorate
| Issuer | Cochin, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1856-1858 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.52 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Stylized representation of the goddess Kali rendered in a highly schematic, abstract manner typical of Cochin's indigenous coinage tradition. At the center of the design, a conch shell (Sankha) is depicted within the simplified figure, serving as a sacred emblem of the Cochin royal house. The composition is confined within the small, irregular flan, with no legend or border present in the field. |
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| Mintage | ND (1856-1858) |
| Additional information |
Cochin was among the earliest Indian states to enter into a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company, doing so in 1791, which left the raja nominally sovereign but militarily dependent on British protection. By the 1850s, coinage authority was increasingly a formality. This tiny silver piece was struck during the reign of Rama Varma IX, in the final years before the Crown assumed direct administration of Indian affairs following the 1857 uprising.
At 0.52 grams, these were among the smallest silver coins in circulation anywhere in British India's orbit — regularly lost, hoarded, or melted rather than spent.