| 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. |
Shivrai was a copper coin minted during the rule of Marathas[1] and remained in circulation till the end of the 19th century, primarily in the western region of modern-day Maharashtra.[2][3]
Before 1830s, shivrai was valued at 1/74 to 1/80 of a rupee.[4] There are 150 different types of shivrai extant to date.[when?][2] 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.[2] In 1890, Rev. Abbott collected and studied around 25,000 shivrais. He mentions that they were still in circulation.[2] The shivrai remained in circulation till the end of the 19th century.[2]
- ^ Shivaji era copper coins found at construction site
- ^ a b c d e Prabhune, Padmakar (2007). महाराष्ट्रातील चलनाचा इतिहास (History of the coinage of Maharashtra). Pune: Diamond Publications. p. 76. ISBN 978-81-89724-92-4.
- ^ Chavan, Vijay (5 March 2019). "State archaeologists warn about fake coins". Pune Mirror. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Thane, Pt I, Pg 306". Google books. Government Central Press. 1882. Retrieved 29 June 2015.