While British India coinage is standardized and easy to follow, the coinage of the Indian Princely States is a vast, complex and incredibly rewarding field for collectors.
The Diversity of States
Before 1947 India consisted of hundreds of semi-independent princely states. Many larger states such as Hyderabad, Gwalior, Baroda and Mewar struck their own coinage, resulting in an explosion of different denominations, designs and scripts.
Hammered vs. Milled
Early princely state coins were hammered, struck by hand using an anvil and a die. Because the dies were usually larger than the coin blanks you rarely find a coin with the complete design. Later progressive states like Hyderabad imported modern machinery to produce beautifully uniform milled coins.
Where to Begin
Because the variety is so vast most collectors focus on a single state or region. Learning to read the Persian, Urdu or Devnagari scripts on these coins is a challenging but essential part of mastering this collecting area.