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½ AR Kahavanu - Raja Raja I
| Issuer | Chola dynasty (Indian Hindu Dynasties) |
|---|---|
| Year | 985-1014 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Standing figure of the king in frontal pose, depicted with arms outstretched and ornamental regalia, rendered in the stylized South Indian iconographic tradition. The royal figure stands on a decorative base or platform, flanked by attendant symbols or subsidiary figures in the field. The design exhibits the characteristic flat, linear treatment of Chola coinage, with bold relief typical of hammered silver issues. The surrounding border consists of a pellet or bead-and-reel ornamental ring defining the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | श्री राजराज |
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| Additional information |
Raja Raja I's reign saw the Chola empire push deep into Sri Lanka, and it was almost certainly the absorption of Anuradhapura's mint traditions that influenced the kahavanu's weight standard. The full kahavanu aligned loosely with the Sri Lankan massa, and this half denomination was struck to facilitate trade across the Palk Strait at a moment when Chola naval power had made that crossing a Chola-controlled corridor.
Mitchiner 295–297 encompasses enough die variation that attribution of individual halves remains contested among specialists.