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Repousse Punch Pagoda - Dileepa Irivanolamba Nolamba Feudatories of Gajapatis
| Issuer | Nolamba Feudatories of the Gajapatis (Indian states) |
|---|---|
| Year | 940-967 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.78 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | (Translation: Shri Parijwala Nolamba) |
| Reverse description | The reverse is essentially plain, displaying only the incuse bracteate impressions corresponding to the repousse punches visible on the obverse, a characteristic feature of the bracteate hammering technique employed in the production of this issue. No inscriptions, devices, or decorative elements are independently present on the reverse field. |
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| Additional information |
The Nolamba chiefs who issued these pieces occupied an awkward political position — nominally subordinate to the Ganga Gajapatis but effectively autonomous across the upland tracts between the Eastern Ghats and the Deccan plateau. Dileepa Irivanolamba's reign falls within a period when Nolamba authority was being steadily compressed by Chola expansion from the south and Rashtrakuta pressure from the west. That a gold coinage was maintained at all under those conditions says something about the residual extractive wealth of the region.
The repousse technique — hammering sheet gold over a die rather than striking a cast blank — produces the characteristic domed surface and diffuse detail seen on these pieces.