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Fanam Kanthirava
| Issuer | Mysore, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1799-1868 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Currency | Rupee (1565-1799) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a highly stylized and schematic Kannada or Telugu inscription arranged within a divided field, separated by two prominent horizontal parallel lines running across the flan. The upper register contains abstract cursive letterforms, while the lower register bears a circular device flanked by additional script characters, all rendered in a conventionalized manner consistent with the degenerate legend style found on late Mysore hammered gold fanams. The overall composition is characteristic of the Kanthirava fanam type issued during the Wadiyar dynasty period. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Fanam was already an ancient denomination by the time Mysore's rulers struck these pieces — the unit had circulated across South India for centuries under dozens of issuing authorities. Kanthirava refers to the lion emblem associated with the Wodeyar dynasty, which was restored to the Mysore throne in 1799 following Tipu Sultan's death at Srirangapatna and the subsequent British intervention. That restoration date marks the opening of this issue's range.
The denomination persisted well into the mid-nineteenth century despite British pressure to standardize coinage across Indian princely states under the East India Company's monetary framework.