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Fanam Kanthirava
| Issuer | Mysore, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1799-1868 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Fanam (1⁄16) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Stylized frontal representation of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, depicted in a highly schematic indigenous style. The deity is shown with two raised arms extended laterally, the face rendered as a bold relief mask with prominent features occupying the center of the field. Above the figure, a cluster of raised pellets arranged in a triangular or arc formation fills the upper field, with additional pellets flanking the sides, a characteristic decorative convention of Mysore fanam coinage. The entire design is contained within a plain, irregular flan typical of hammered gold issues of this series. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Kannada |
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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.