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Tipu Sultan was the son of Haidar Ali, who took charge of the Mysore army and the reins of power after the death of his father. He was an able general and also an able
administrator, who introduced many positive reforms during his tenure. Among these reforms was the introduction of a wide variety of coin types, many of very high artistic merit.
He died in battle, defending the fort of Seringapatam against the British.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) |
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) Gold pagoda, Nagar, AH 1199, RY 3
Weight: 3.42 gm. Diameter: 12 mm Die axis: 1 o'clock
Persian letter He (for Haidar Ali, Tipu's father), along with
mint name Nagar and numeral 3 (regnal year)
Legend, including AH date 1199 (= 1785-86 CE)
Reference: KM 109
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In the first few years of his reign, Tipu Sultan placed the AH date on his coins, to be replaced by the AM dates (Mauludi era) in regnal
year 5. The early coins also continued the practice of showcasing the letter He, which his father Haidar Ali had placed on his coins.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) Gold pagoda, Patan, AH 1198, RY 1
Weight: 3.40 gm. Diameter: 12 mm Die axis: 5 o'clock
Persian letter He (for Haidar Ali, Tipu's father), along with
numeral 1 (regnal year)
Legend, including AH date 1198 (= 1782 CE) and mint Patan
(for Srirangapatnam, or Seringapatan)
Reference: KM --- (unlisted date combination)
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A coin from the earliest part of Tipu's reign, when he was continuing the practice of placing the letter He on his coins and
dating them in the AH era. KM lists a coin from Patan for AH 1198 and regnal year 2. This combination, AH 1198 and RY 1, is not listed in KM.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) Gold pagoda, Patan, AH 1200, RY 4
Weight: 3.44 gm. Diameter: 12 mm Die axis: 4 o'clock
Mint name Patan combined with Persian letter He (for Haidar Ali),
along with numeral 4 (regnal year)
Legend, including AH date 1200 (= 1786 CE)
Reference: KM --- (unlisted)
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A very interesting and witty coin! In the first few years of his reign, Tipu Sultan placed the AH date on his coins, to be replaced by the
AM dates (Mauludi era) in regnal year 5. The early coins also continued the practice of showcasing the letter He, which his father Haidar Ali had placed on his coins. This
coin marks a transitional phase, where the mint name Patan has been put on the obverse, but where the last letter of the word Patan has been modified to look like the He
of the earlier coins. Further, the numeral 4 for the regnal year takes the place of the dot that would normally appear in that place in the word Patan. The coin is not listed in KM.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) Gold pagoda, Patan, AM 1221
Weight: 3.43 gm. Diameter: 12 mm Die axis: 1 o'clock
Legend, including AM date 1221 (= 1792 CE)
Legend, including mint Patan (for Srirangapatnam, or Seringapatan)
Reference: KM 129
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This coin is dated in the Mauludi era, instituted by Tipu in regnal year 5. While the AH date uses as its base the year of the Hijra,
the migration of the Prophet to Medina in 622 CE, the Mauludi era uses as its base the year of the Prophet's birth in 570/571 CE. A further complication is that, while the Hijri
calendar is a pure lunar calendar in which the year is only 354 or 355 days long, the Mauludi calendar is a lunar-solar one in which the year has 365 days.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) AE 2-Paisa, Patan, undated
Weight: 23.32 gm. Diameter: 33 mm Die axis: o'clock
Elephant right with raised trunk, flag and legend above
Legend, including mint Patan (for Srirangapatnam, or Seringapatan)
Reference: KM 124.3 var
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The copper double paisas of Tipu are handsome coins much in demand from collectors.
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) AE 2-Paisa, Patan, AM 1225
Weight: 21.03 gm. Diameter: 35 mm Die axis: 1 o'clock
Caparisoned elephant walking right, flag with Persian "Be" above
Persian legend stating date, AM 1225 (=1796 CE), and mint Patan
Reference: KM 124.7 var
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) AE Paisa, Farrukhyab-Hisar, AM 1217
Weight: 11.31 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 12 o'clock
Caparisoned elephant walking left, AM date 1217 (=1788 CE) above
Persian legend stating mint Farrukhyab-Hisar (Chitaldurg)
Reference: KM 63.1
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) AE Paisa, Nagar, AM 1226
Weight: 11.26 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 12 o'clock
Caparisoned elephant walking right, Persian letter Te above
Persian legend stating mint Nagar and AM date 1226 (=1797 CE)
Reference: KM 103.8
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Tipu Sultan (1782-1799) AE Paisa, Patan, AM 1222
Weight: 11.14 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 12 o'clock
Caparisoned elephant walking right, Persian legend and
AM date 1222 (=1793 CE) above
Persian legend stating mint Patan
Reference: KM 123.5
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