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Princely State of Kutch
5 Kori
卡奇土邦
5科里
Item number: A1230
Year: AD 1938
Material: Silver
Size: 31.3 x 31.3 mm
Manufactured by: Bhuj, India
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024
This is a silver coin with a denomination of 5 Kori, minted in AD 1938 during British colonial rule by the princely state of Kutch, which is in the northwestern corner of India and today forms part of the state of Gujarat.
The coin was milled, surrounded by a beaded rim and featuring a solid inner circle. On the obverse, within the solid circle, from left to right, it displays symbolic elements associated with the Hindu god Shiva: a trident called “Trishula,” a crescent moon, and a traditional dagger known as a Katar, which was popular in the region. Below these symbols, three lines of Devanagari script denote, from top to bottom: the denomination “कोरी पांच” (5 Kori), the mint location “कच्छ भुज” (Kutch, Bhuj), and the Vikram Samvat year “१૯९४” (1994). The outer rim bears an inscription in Devanagari, representing the name and title of the ruler of the princely state, Maharaja Khengarji III, reading “महाराजा धिराज मिरजा महाराउ श्री खेंगारजी सवाई बहादुर” (Maharaja Shree Khengarji the brave).
On the reverse side of the coin, within the solid circle, are three lines of inscriptions written in Urdu using Arabic script. From top to bottom, these inscriptions are:The reigning British monarch, George VI: “جورج ۶” (George VI), George VI’s title in India: “قیصرِ ہند” (Emperor of India), the mint location and year of issuance: “بوج ۱۹۳۸” (Bhuj 1938).The outer rim of the coin is decorated with a geometric leaf pattern.
Kutch was one of the few coastal princely states under British India, with a well-developed commercial sector. In AD 1816, it signed its first treaty with the British East India Company, becoming a highly autonomous state under British rule. Kutch was also one of the 34 princely states permitted by the British to mint its own coins from AD 1872. In AD 1875, Maharao Khengarji III ascended to the throne and undertook extensive modernisation efforts in Kutch. He was the longest-serving ruler of the region until his death in AD 1942. After India gained independence from Britain in AD 1947, Kutch was integrated directly into the Indian government, marking the end of its history as an autonomous princely state.
John McLeod, “A Numerous, Illiterate, and Irresponsible Bhayat’: The Maharaos of Kutch, their Nobles and the British Paramount Power, 1816–1947,” The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 2007, pp. 371-391