Talwar Sirohi

[Jens Nordlunde]

Have a look at the attached katar, I have always thought it was north Deccan, but maybe I have been wrong – you will see the reason for the ‘maybe’ when you look at the coin.

The coin – front and backside – is from Nawanagar (gar means fort) located on the Kathiswar peninsula, west-central India, in Kutch. The coin is a 3 Dakda (whatever that is) and dated 1928 VS – 1871 AD. The katar is not used as a mintmark, but as an emblem (a mark of the state), which, of course, is far more powerful than a mintmark.

Bruce II, Colin R, and others: The Standard guide to South Asian Coins and Paper Money Since 1556 AD. Krause Publications, USA

Far too late I realised what a big help such a catalogue can be, and now I have itJ. A lot of the Indian states mentioned, are states, of which I have newer heard anything, they also write where the state is located, and a very short history, so you get a rough idea about the set up when they minted the coins.