Cash: coin from Kingdom of Travancore (1815-1949); 1/448 rupee

CASH: COIN OF TRAVANCORE (INDIA)

1 cash (കാശു), ND (1928-1949): Kingdom of Travancore

1 cash (കാശു), ND (1928-1949): Kingdom of Travancore

Ruler: Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma II — the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore until 1991.

The Kingdom of Travancore was an Indian kingdom from 1729 until 1949.

ND (no date).

ഒരു കാശു (in malayalam — Oru Kasu): One Cash.

Shankha (made of sea mollusk Turbinella pyrum ritual object in Hinduism) as a symbol of the dynasty of rulers of Travancore, placed in a star with eight faceted rays.

  • Copper: 11.3 mm - 0.45 g
  • Reference price: 6$

COIN CASH — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
  1. KINGDOM OF TRAVANCORE, INDIA (1815-1949): cash = 1/448 rupee = 1/16 chuckram
  2. INDIA (Princely state of Mysore, Nawabdom of the Carnatic, British Madras, British Bengal, Danish Tranquebar, Dutch India … — 17th-19th centuries): cash
  3. CHINA (Ancient China, Republic of China, Empire of China, Chinese provinces… — 4th century BC - 20th century AD): cash (or wen)
  4. CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASIA (Qara Khitai, Sogdia, Tokharistan, Uyghur Khagante… — 7th-13th centuries): cash
  5. MALAY PENINSULA (Banten Sultanate, Jambi Sultanate, Srivijaya, Palembang… — 11th-19th centuries): cash

Cash is one of the longest-used historical coins in the world (over 2 millennia in a row).


There are a number of assumptions about the origin of the term "cash", but the main fact is that this term is relatively modern and brought to Asia from Europe. The ancient, earliest coins, now called cash in English sources, had other names (for example, Chinese cash is actually "wen" /Chinese "文"/).
The word "cash" is now widely used to mean "money". Regarding the origin of the term, there are several versions: from the French "caisse" which derives from the Old Italian "cassa", and ultimately from the Latin "capsa" — "box" (chest for money).