Junagarh, Hatakeshwara Sahi, Silver Kori, Obv: devanagari legend in three lines “Shri Hatakeshwaraya Namah”, Rev: devanagari legend in three lines "Shri Raghunathaya Namah”, 4.22g, 15.19mm, choice very fine, Exceedingly Rare.

The obverse legend refers to "Hatakeshwara" (Golden Lord), a name of Shiva, and a form that is particularly revered by Nagar Brahmins of Gujarat. In 1784, Raghunathji Amarji, belonging to that cast was appointed the Diwan of Junagarh State by Nawab Hamid Khan Babi after his father the former Diwan was murdered. He was made a Diwan for life in 1811 by Nawab Bhadur Khan II and the office was offered to him in hereditary capacity. He remained the Diwan for more than 40 years, retiring in 1816/17 after the Nawab lost faith him. He died soon after in 1819. Hatakeshwara was his "Ishta-Devata" (favoured deity), and the reference to "Raghunath" on reverse is no doubt to him, although in the garb of a divine salutation.

This remarkable coin was first published by G P Taylor in Numismatic Supplement XX, 1912. After a mention by Codrington in 1895 of this kind of Kori, Taylor was able to trace a solitary specimen in Junagarh Museum – which to him was the only known piece.

Taylor was hesitant to regard the piece he published as a ‘coin’, but a couple more pieces are now known and they all are struck to the weight of a ‘Kori’. Perhaps they were a ceremonial issue but there appears to be no doubt to regard them as coins. Taylor himself thinks that they might have been issued as ‘patterns’ by Ranchhodji, the younger brother of Raghunathji, before he issued the ‘Diwanshahi’ Koris of Junagarh, with the word ‘Shri Diwan’ written on them.

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