Maharaja Ranbir Singh Dogra Rajas of Jammu & Kashmir Srinagar mint Copper 1 Paisa Coin

Dogra Raja’s of Jammu & Kashmir, Maharaja Ranbir Singh (r. 1856–1885), Denomination: 1 Paisa, Composition: Copper, Weight: 5.44 grams, Diameter: 19 mm, Srinagar mint, About Very Fine, Very Scarce.

Obverse: Legend in Persian around central cartouche: “Sri Gajadharji saha 1921” with Vikram Samvat date in Persian numerals,

Reverse: Inscription in Persian/Arabic: “ضرب فال سری نگر” — “Zarb Falus Srinagar” (Falus struck at Srinagar),

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Dogra dynasty rulers of Jammu & Kashmir issued their own coinage alongside British Indian currency. Maharaja Ranbir Singh, son of Gulab Singh and head of the Dogra Rajput clan, continued this tradition of indigenous coinage as part of maintaining economic autonomy within the British suzerainty. The copper 1 paisa type, minted at the Srinagar facility, carries Persian-script legends reflecting the bilingual administrative culture of the state, with Sri Gajadharji saha denoting the regnal year in the local calendar. The reverse inscription “Zarb Falus Srinagar” clearly identifies the mint locality and the traditional term falus—a copper denomination rooted in medieval Indian Islamic and princely monetary practice. As a site issue circulating locally rather than empire-wide, examples of this coin can be prized by collectors of Indian princely state numismatics.