Summary

1/2 Paisa coin, issued by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in the Kashmir Princely State, India
Hammered copper coinage struck at the Srinagar mint in 1939 VS (1882 AD)

Obverse Description

Legend, mostly in Persian - '1939 Sri Ragunatha ji Saha zarb Srinagar'; below off flan, the English letters JHS for Jamu Hari Singh

Reverse Description

Legend in Takari characters (including date 1939); below, a scimitar blade

Edge Description

plain

Significance

Kashmir was taken from Afghan control by the Sikhs in 1819 and from them by the British in 1845. A year later it and Jamu were sold to Gulab Singh (father of the issuer of this coin) for 3/4 million pound sterling. The small denomination 1/2 paisa coin was introduced in 1876 during a great famine which had brought trade to a standstill. At this time also, Ranbir Singh had a cart road built from Srinagar to Rawalpindi to facilitate importation of food. The denomination was well recieved and was struck almost every year until 1890 (during the reign of Pertab Singh) when it was discontinued.

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