Note: This coin represents a highly unusual and rare variety of Tipu Sultan’s silver coinage, long noted by historians and collectors. The specimen is of exceptional quality, displaying a complete dotted and linear border on both sides, a feature seldom seen. It retains a superb original patina and is struck in high relief, with a sharp, well-centered design. The crisp lettering and Gem UNC condition place this coin among the finest known.

Only approximately five specimens are known. Unlike Tipu Sultan’s regular silver issues, these coins bear no denomination and no mint mark, making them particularly distinctive. While once thought to be trial strikes, the presence of multiple die varieties suggests that they were struck for a specific and deliberate purpose.

It is widely believed that these coins were produced for ceremonial use, possibly connected with the ‘Nisar’ court ritual. The date 1787 was a pivotal year in Tipu Sultan’s reign, marked by the end of conflict with the Marathas and important diplomatic contacts with the Ottoman Sultan. A royal Darbar held during this period may have required the striking of special presentation coins, with the quarter rupee being a suitable ceremonial denomination.

The coin also shows stylistic connections with contemporary regional issues, such as the Double Rupees of Calicut. The existence of a comparable example in the Ashmolean Museum further confirms the rarity and importance of this issue. Overall, this coin represents a remarkable survival from a key moment in Tipu Sultan’s reign and forms an important contribution to the study of Indian and Islamic numismatics.

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