| Obverse |
Mint name Patan combined with Persian letter He (for Haidar Ali, Tipu's father), along with numeral 4 (regnal year) |
| Reverse |
Legend, including AH date 1200 |
| Date |
Regnal year 4, AH 1200 (= 1786 CE) |
| Weight |
3.44 gm. |
| Diameter |
12 mm. |
| Die axis |
4 o'clock |
| Reference |
KM --- (unlisted) |
| Comments |
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. A most unusual and desirable coin! |