Description
Maratha Confederacy – Chhatrapathi Sivaji , ND, paisa coin image only for verification
Shivrai
Maratha Empire
Value – 1/74 to 1/80 of rupee
Composition – Copper
Years of minting – 1674 – 1830
Circulation – 1674 – late 1890s
Obverse Design – “Shri / Raja / Shiv” or “Shri / Raja” in Devanagari script, in three or two rows.
Reverse Design – Chhatra / Pati in Devanagari script, in two rows.
Before 1830s, shivrai was valued at 1/74 to 1/80 of a rupee.There are 150 different types of shivrai extant till date. In 1885, the British government ordered all local revenue collectors (Mamlatdars) to collect all shivrais and deposit them in treasury. The purpose of this was to bring the new pice, worth 1/64 of rupee, in currency by eliminating this native rival. In 1890, Rev. Abbott collected and studied around 25,000 shivrais. He mentions that they were still in circulation.The shivrai remained in circulation till the end of the 19th AD
