Novamarketing Chiasso Medals Coins India C Indep. Kingdoms India Indep Kingdoms Maratha Confederacy Jean Baptiste Filose

# 320Rupee 1198 RY 3x Jean Baptiste FiloseIndia C Indep. Kingdoms - Maratha Confederacy
India – Maratha Confederacy – Seorha type coins (Gwalior) – Jean Baptiste Filose. Rupee AH (11)98 RY 3(x). Mint: Uncertain, Symbols: Axe and Mace, Silver (ø 18 mm – w. 10.59 g.). Edge: plain. KM –.

Note:
This coin came from a hoard and still remains unattributed. They came in two large lots - one in the 1980's and another in the 1990's - but barring these instances they are still rare. This type is most likely an issue of the Sabalgarh mint under Jean-Baptiste Filose. Jean Baptiste Filose was a military commander in the army of Daulat Rao Sindhia, the Maratha ruler of Gwalior. In 1811 he captured the fortress of Chanderi on the eastern border of Sindhia's kingdom from the Bundela Rajput rulers. He led Sindhia's forces against British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818), and captured the fortress of Garha Kota near Sagar in 1817. (Stephen Album Rare Coins, List 257, September 2010 )

The coin is undoubtedly from the Gwalior region, but their issuing authority is still a problem. Recently I discussed this series with Shailendra Bhandare and he is convinced they are from Seorha. The only hit on Google for Seorha is an attribution of such a rupee in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.(.) Obviously the work of Shailendra Bhandare. Ken Wiggins spent much time to find out who might have been struck these coins (I still have some manuscript papers of Ken with me), but still in vain. On some coins, like the above one, the mint name can be read as Zarb Falus. Falus is the designation for a copper coin, however it could also be read as zarb Filose too. Jean Baptiste Filose was a military commander in the army of Daulat Rao Sindhia, the Maratha ruler of Gwalior. In 1811 he captured the fortress of Chanderi on the eastern border of Sindhia's kingdom from the Bundela Rajput rulers. He led Sindhia's forces against British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818), and captured the fortress of Garha Kota near Sagar in 1817. Most coins concerned show a fictitious AH-date 1198 (=1783/84). The regnal year observed on majority of them is 34 (=1792). The obverse legend in the name of Shah Alam II shows also peculiarities, which haven’t so far been explained. I have also two coins, Ry.2 and 3, in the name of Mohammad Akbar II. This coincides with the period of 1807 –1809. All the coins are too early to be issues of Jean Baptiste Filose. Seorha I haven’t been able to locate. There is a place Jora, not so far from Gwalior, which has a fort, but whether this is the same place as Seorha, as indicated by Shailendra Bhandare, I don’t know. When I asked him whether this place is the same as Seondha, he disagreed. The only conclusion one may draw from the fabric of the coin, that it must been issue from the area of Gwalior (area Isagarh – Datia – Orchha), but the attribution is, despite the reasonable number of coins, still awaiting. (Extracted from Mr. Oesho's comments on Zeno.ru – Oriental Coins Database, August 2006).

Recently, Mr. Shailendra Bhandare, in his article, – Making the most in 'Troubled Times': Jean Baptiste Filose and his Coinage – has thrown light on the coins of Seorha Type, which, until now, were unattributed. Mr. Bhandare has divided these coins into 5 broad types:
1. Coins with Axe Only.
2. Coins with Axe + Spear.
3. Coins with Axe + Mace.
4. Coins with Axe + Sword.
5. Coins with Axe + Sword on Obverse + Cannon on Reverse.
All these type are further divided into varieties, based on the different die positions and minor variations. (.) In type 2 Coin, I have come across a coin, which is not categorised by Mr. Bhandare. This coin has Axe + Spear, but the spear seems to look like a flag. (Extracted from Mr. Abhay's comments on Worldofcoins' Forum, November 2009).

Web References:
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=4879.0
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,1820.msg29866.html#msg29866
http://www.zeno.ru/search.php?searchid=126629