The copper paisa of Ratlam depicts katar on the obverse side and the reverse side of the coin shows a mint name and Vikram Samwat date. It was issued by Ranjit Singh in 1921 VS [Vikram Samwat].

The state was founded by Ratan Singh in 1652. He was the grandson of Raja Udai Singh of Jaipur and the son of Raja Mahesh Das of Jhalor. He had 12 wives, among them Queen Sukhroopde Kanwar Shekhawat Ji Sahiba was the daughter of Kunwar Purshottam Das of Jhajhar in Rajasthan. She became popular for committing sati in 1658.

Ratan Singh was rewarded with a jagir worth fifty lakh for his brave deeds which favoured Shah Jahan. He was also made commander, granted insignia royalty and granted the title ‘Maharaja’. He died on the battlefield at Ujjain in 1658. He was succeeded by his son, Chhatrasal. The state lost a fortune with the death of Ratan Singh. Later, the state was split into three parts, Sitamau, Ratlam and Raoti among Kesho Das (nephew of Chhatrasal), Kesri Singh (eldest son of Chhatrasal) and Pratap Singh (youngest son of Chhatrasal) respectively.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World