1 & 2 Paisa, Junagadh, 1943

1 & 2 paisa cash coupons of Junagadh State, printed in 1943. The obverse has the oval stamp of Junagadh state, while the reverse carries the serial number. These coupons/notes were substitute for the 1 paisa (1 quarter anna) metallic coins of British India - as metal was in short supply during the Second World War. Another sign of this shortage was the replacement of the one-quarter anna British Indian coins with the much smaller 1 pice (hole coin - hole to save extra metal) during the war.  

Junagadh was one of the princely states in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, with an overwhelmingly Hindu population and a Muslim ruler. At the time of independence, the Nawab of Junagadh had wanted to join Pakistan - but fled his kingdom in face of India's blockade. The Dewan to the Nawab, Shahnawaz Bhutto (father of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) invited India to take over the administration. 

Read more about these here and here

Both of these are very rare, and extremely hard to get in a set. 

Coupons are part of a lot. The piece that you get may not be the piece in scan, but will be an item in similar condition. Price is for 1 set of 2 coupons, of 1 and 2 paisa.