2018-03-14 Wed

Tipu Sultan ruled the southern part of Mysore for almost 20 yrs, and in his twenty years rule, he had issued a variety of coinage. He had given a special name to his coins having the different denominations. He had issued coins of all the three metals: Gold, Silver, and Copper. He had also issued a new type of calendar which was known as the Mauludi Era.

Copper coins issued by Tipu Sultan had names of planets, for e.g., ‘Paisa’ also known as ‘Zohra’ the Persian name of Planet ‘Venus’; ‘Half-Paisa’ is also known as ‘Behram’, Persian name of Planet ‘Mars’, ‘Quarter-Paisa’ is also known as ‘Akhtar’, the word for star, Double Paisa is also known as Othmani or Mushtari, and One Eighth Paisa or Qutb.

The copper coin which was issued by Tipu Sultan bears the image of an elephant on the obverse side with the date written above the elephant or sometimes also written above the tail. In some of the coins, the elephant is seen with the tail down and sometimes he is seen with the uplifting tail.

Copper coins which were issued by Tipu Sultan during the last four Years of his reign were minted in Serigapatam, Nagar, and Gooty. The coins which were issued during the last four years bear respectively the first four letters of the Persian alphabet; ‘Alif’ ‘Be’ ‘Pe’ and ‘Te’. The letters are placed above the elephant on the obverse.

This double paisa was issued by Tipu Sultan from the mint Patan during the Mauludi year 1218. The obverse of the coin is inscribed with the image of an elephant facing towards the right with a decorated flag at the top, the Mauludi year 1218 is written on his tail. The Reverse of the coin is inscribed with the mint name ‘Dar-ul-Sultanate Patan’, with the name of the denomination ‘Othmani’.

Image Courtesy: Todywalla Auction