The Jai Hind Kori & Dhabu
Posted by Amit Bhandari on
The Jai Hind kori was a 1 kori silver coin issued by the Princely State of Kutch in 1948 (Vikram Samvat 2004) on India’s independence, with the words ‘Jai Hind’ in Devnagri on the reverse. This was issued in the name of Madansinhji, the ruler of Kutch at the time.
Madansinhji ascended the throne of Kutch on 26 January, 1948 - on the death of his father Vijayrajji. His rule lasted for just a few months - on 4 May 1948, Kutch merged into the Indian union, one of the first princely states to do so. Apart from his contribution to India's unity, Madansinhji has also left his mark on the world of numismatics - through the coins he issued.
The Jai Hind kori makes a break from earlier coins of Kutch in two ways. First, the previous coins of Kutch (from 1857-1947) carried the name of the British ruler on the reverse (Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI). This coins says ‘Jai Hind’ instead – signifying the shift of sovereignty. Second, the reverse of coin used Urdu script, in the Jai-Hind Kori, ‘Jai-Hind’ is written in Devnagari script.
Other than that, this coin follows the pattern of other 1 Kori coins in weight, size and design.
The other coin issued by Madansinhji is the Jai Hind Dhabu (1/8 kori), a copper coin. The three symbols of the Royal house of Kutch, the trishul (trident), crescent and katar (dagger) can be seen on the obverse, while Jai Hind in Devnagari script is there on the reverse.
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