Tradition · Maratha gold coinage · India
Shiv Shāhī hon — Śivājī's gold coinage
Also known as Shiv Shahi hon, Shivaji coinage
The Shiv Shāhī hon, a gold coinage struck at Rājgaḍ and Raigad from Śivājī's coronation in 1674. The obverse carries 'Śrī Rājā Śiva' and the reverse 'Chatrapati' in Nāgarī — the first explicitly Marāṭhā royal coinage in Nāgarī legend, breaking with the Persian-legend convention of the Deccan sultanates. The weight followed the South Indian hon-paṇam standard (c. 3.4 g) rather than the Mughal mohur. Also issued in copper (śivarāī paisa), which circulated across the Maratha confederacy well into the 19th century.
Money & materialsDynasties & capitalsTrade, ports & money
- Periods
- Early Modern Age, British Colonial Age
- Function
- Trade & production
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
Connections (1)
- Historical linkHampi / Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara's gold varāha / hon-paṇam standard was adopted for Śivājī's Shiv Shāhī hon rather than the Mughal mohur.
On these journeys
Sources
Standard reference.
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