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1/2 Larin 'Kuda' - Muhammad Imaduddin II
| Issuer | Sultanate of Maldives |
|---|---|
| Year | 1717-1719 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Larin (1660-1947) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Hammered reverse field displaying a three-line Arabic inscription arranged horizontally across the flan. The legend reads 'Sultan of the land and sea,' a regal title characteristic of Maldivian sultanic coinage of this period. The script is executed in a bold, cursive hand consistent with the obverse, with letters showing the informal, hand-engraved quality typical of hammered Maldivian larins. A dotted border surrounds the inscription. The irregular flan edges and die placement reflect standard production methods of the Malé Mint. |
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| Reverse lettering | سلطان البر والبحر (Translation: Sultan of the land and sea) |
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| Additional information |
The larin was an unusual wire-money tradition inherited from Persian Gulf trade networks, but by the early 18th century the Maldives had adapted it into a distinctly local struck form. Muhammad Imaduddin II's reign was marked by repeated interference from South Indian powers, particularly the Cannanore Ali Rajas, who had established a parasitic trading relationship with the islands that periodically tipped into outright occupation. Coinage from this reign is scarce partly because the sultanate's monetary output was modest, and partly because billon issues circulated hard in a low-denomination economy dependent on cowrie shells for most small transactions.