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Independent Kingdoms: Mysore - Tipu Sultan (1782-1799 AD), silver ¼ rupee Nisar, RY5/AM1215, 2.84g.

Currency:INR Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:NA Estimated At:500,000.00 - 700,000.00 INR
Independent Kingdoms: Mysore - Tipu Sultan (1782-1799 AD), silver ¼ rupee Nisar, RY5/AM1215, 2.84g.
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Mysore - Tipu Sultan (1782-1799 AD), silver ¼ rupee Nisar, mintless but most likely struck at Pattan, RY5 / Am1215, Henderson 69, 2.84g. Obv: Arabic letter 'He' surrounded by eight dotted rosettes; number 5 indicating RY in the hook of the letter. Rev: Arabic legend Muhammad Huw al-Sultan al-Wahid al-'Adil Sanah followed by AM date.

Extremely fine, Exceedingly rare.

This is highly unusual variety of Tipu's silver coinage, known from about five specimens. Struck to a quarter rupee weight, it does not bear a denomination and a mint like his other silver issues. It has widely assumed that this might have been a 'trial' / 'pattern' strike - however, the fact that there exists die-variation amongst known specimens suggests that more than one dies and their combinations were used to strike these coins, so it is unlikely to have been a trial strike. The only other explanation that can be given is that the coins might have been struck for a special purpose, such as a court ritual like 'Nisar'. The year 1787 in which these coins were produced was an important one for Tipu's reign - he concluded a war with the Marathas and sent an embassy to the Ottoman Sultan of Turkey, who was also styled the Khalifa of the Muslim World. It is therefore likely that a Darbar was held and it necessitated issue of ceremonial coins. Quarter rupee was the most commonly used denomination for producing such coins.