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Young World
Treasure from Travancore
S. SURESH
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Many beautiful coins in different metals were minted by the Travancore kings. Their earliest coins were hand-made.
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Travancore in the present-day state of Kerala was one of the most prosperous and powerful kingdoms of medieval India. The famous rulers of this kingdom were Marthanda Varma and Balarama Varma. These kings were devout worshippers of Lord Vishnu or Padmanabha. They proudly called themselves Padmanabha dasa (servant of Padmanabha). They ruled the kingdom in the name of God Padmanabha.
The Travancore kings minted many beautiful coins in different metals such as silver and copper. While their earliest coins were hand made, the later ones were mostly machine made. These coins have smooth edges and are more pleasing to look at.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the Travancore coins feature objects and symbols connected with Lord Vishnu. A unique copper coin of Travancore features Lord Padmanabha in slumber (Anantasayana). According to numismatists, this is one of the rarest representations of the sleeping Vishnu on a coin.
The conch and the wheel — the two main objects carried by Lord Vishnu — also figure in Travancore coins. The conch is frequently depicted in the later Travancore coins. Sometimes, the conch is seen on both sides of the coin. The conch is enclosed within a circle or a flower-wreath or a star.
A few of the late Travancore coins portray the bust of the ruler on the obverse. Due to British influence, these coins show the Travancore king in European dress — shirt, coat, tie and a feather cap.
A little-known Travancore silver coin features a four-armed Goddess (Parvati?) on the obverse and a trident on the reverse.
The inscriptions on the Travancore coins are in Malayalam and English.
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