Travancore ME1121 fanam
This specimen was lot 75046 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2024), where it sold for $145. The catalog description[1] noted, "INDIA. Travancore. Fanam, ME 1121 (1946). Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma II (under George VI as Emperor). NGC MS-66. An icy gray minor with considerable cartwheeling luster." Travancore was a princely state on the SW tip of India adjacent to the Madras presidency. This type was also struck in ME 1116 and ME 1118. All dates are common. Wikipedia comments,
"Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma GCSI GCIE, popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal (1912-91), was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore until 1991. His reign is known for several notable reforms that have indelible impact on the society and culture of Kerala."
Chithira Thirunal's most remarkable achievement was a proclamation of 1936 permitting low caste people, previously "untouchable", to enter temples in his domain.
Recorded mintage: 1,925,000.
Specification: 1.51 g, 0.500 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-65.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stevens, Paul, The Coins of the English East India Company, Presidency Series: A Catalogue and Pricelist. London, Spink & Son Ltd, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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