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Ananthavarahan - Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma
| Issuer | Travancore, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1758-1798 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Full frontal figure of Lord Vishnu (Ananthavarahan) depicted standing in a hieratic posture, with multiple arms raised and extended to either side, the deity adorned with a crescent-shaped headdress and elaborate body ornaments rendered in low relief. The figure is enclosed within a prominent inner border of large raised beads arranged in a diamond or looping pattern across the field, with a further outer border of beads encircling the entire design near the coin's rim. The treatment is characteristic of early Travancore hammered gold coinage, with the deity's face and torso rendered in a stylised South Indian artistic convention. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The entire reverse surface is covered uniformly with a densely packed granulated or punchwork pattern of small raised hemispherical bosses, filling the field from rim to rim without any inscription, device, or additional ornamentation. This distinctive granulated texture is a hallmark feature of Travancore gold fanam-series coinage of the period, serving as both a security and aesthetic characteristic. The reverse bears no legend, exergue, or mint mark. |
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| Additional information |
Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma ruled Travancore during one of the most militarily consequential periods in South Indian history. His reign saw the decisive defeat of Hyder Ali's invasion at the Battle of Colachel's aftermath, and later the negotiation of the 1789 alliance with the British East India Company — a relationship that would define Travancore's political survival for decades. Gold coinage issued across his long forty-year reign draws from a mint tradition that prioritized religious iconography tied directly to the Padmanabhaswamy temple, to whose deity the Travancore rajas formally dedicated their sovereignty.
The fanam-weight gold issues of this reign are notoriously difficult to attribute precisely within the period, as die production was continuous and undated.