Shivrai
Shivrai was a copper coin minted during the rule of Marathas and remained in circulation till the end of the 19th century, primarily in the western region of modern-day Maharashtra. Before 1830s, shivrai was valued at 1/74 to 1/80 of a rupee. There are 150 different types of shivrai extant to date.
Shivrai

Pratishkhedekar · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Field
- coin
- Region
- Maratha Empire
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wikidata · Q7499426 · wikipedia · Shivrai
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Overview
Overview
In 1885, the British government ordered all local revenue collectors (Mamlatdars) to collect all shivrais and deposit them in treasury. The purpose of this was to bring the new pice, worth 1/64 of rupee, in currency by eliminating this native rival. In 1890, Rev. Abbott collected and studied around 25,000 shivrais. He mentions that they were still in circulation. The shivrai remained in circulation till the end of the 19th century.

Shivrai - copper coin of Maratha Empire. Reverse side. This one has "Shri Raja ShivChhatrapati" imprinted on it. "Shri / Raja / Shiv" on obverse, and "Chhatra / pati" on reverse. This was minted after 1674, i.e., coronation of Shivaji. Current coin is from the collection of Mr. Navin Kishore Mhatre, reproduced here with his permission.
Pratishkhedekar

Shivrai - copper coin of Maratha Empire. Obverse side. This one has "Shri Raja ShivChhatrapati" imprinted on it. "Shri / Raja / Shiv" on obverse, and "Chhatra / pati" on reverse. This was minted after 1674, i.e., coronation of Shivaji.
William Marsden · Numismata Orientalia Illustrata: The Oriental Coins, Ancient and Modern, of His Collection, Described and Historically Illustrated, Volume 2 https: books.google.co.in/books?id=KVNMAAAAcAAJ
Key facts
Key facts
• Denomination — Shivrai • Country — Maratha Empire • Composition — Copper • Years Of Minting — 1674 - 1830 • Circulation — 1674 – late 1890s • Value — 1/74 to 1/80 of rupee • Obverse Design — "Shri / Raja / Shiv" or "Shri / Raja" in Devanagari script, in three or two rows. • Reverse Design — Chhatra / Pati in Devanagari script, in two rows.
Shivaji's Shivrai
Shivaji's Shivrai
When the Maratha warrior Shivaji became Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire, as a symbol of sovereignty, the Rajyaabhisheka Shaka (The Coronation Era) was started. On the occasion of coronation, special coins were minted, including a gold coin called Shivrai Hon. These coins have Shri Raja ShivaChhatrapati, in Devanagari, inscribed on them.
Key facts
Key facts
• Country — Maratha Empire • Denomination — Shivaji's Shivrai • Circulation — 1674 - 1890s • Value — 1/74th to 1/80th of Rupee • Composition — Copper • Obverse Design Date — 1674 • Reverse Design Date — 1674 • Obverse Design — Shri / Raja / Shiv in Devanagari script, in three rows. • Reverse Design — Chhatra / Pati in Devanagari script, in two rows. • Diameter — 23 • Thickness — 4
Dudandi Shivrai
Dudandi Shivrai
Dudandi Shivrais (Marathi: दुदांडी शिवराई) were minted during Peshwa period. Dudandi literally means two-bars. The "Shri" at the top of the obverse is underlined. This horizontal line, combined with the horizontal heading line of the word "Raja", gives us an impression of "Double bars", hence the term "Dudandi".
Key facts
Key facts
• Denomination — Dudandi Shivrai • Country — Maratha Empire • Value — 1/74th to 1/80th of Rupee • Diameter — 20 • Composition — Copper • Circulation — Mid 18th to late 19th century • Obverse Design — Shri / Raja in Devanagari script, in two rows. "Shri" is underlined. • Reverse Design — Chhatra / Pati in Devanagari script, in two rows. • Thickness — 4 • Years Of Minting — Mid 18th Century - 1818
EIC's Shivrai
EIC's Shivrai
The British East India Company minted Shivrais at Poona during the period of 1820–1830. Unlike Earlier Shivrais, these contained year of minting on it. The dotted collar of earlier Shivrais is also absent. The year was given in Fasli era.
Key facts
Key facts
• Denomination — EIC's Shivrai • Country — Company Raj • Value — 1/74th to 1/80th of Rupee • Diameter — 19 • Mass G — 9.80 • Composition — Copper • Years Of Minting — 1820 - 1830 • Circulation — 1820 - Late 1890s • Obverse Design — Numeric Fasli year, "Raja" in Devanagari • Reverse Design — Chhatra / Pati in Devanagari script, in two rows.
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Maratha Empire
Country
Shivrai is associated with Maratha Empire.
Country
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Shivrai, revision 1369009315 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Shivaji era copper coins found at construction site.
- 2.Prabhune, Padmakar. महाराष्ट्रातील चलनाचा इतिहास (History of the coinage of Maharashtra). Diamond Publications. 76. 2007. 978-81-89724-92-4.
- 3.Chavan, Vijay. State archaeologists warn about fake coins. Pune Mirror. March 5, 2019.
- 4.Government Central Press. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Thane, Pt I, Pg 306. Google books. 1882.
- 5.Rare coins will be on display.
- 6.Coins from Shivaji era main attraction at rare items expo.
- 7.मराठा राजघराण्याची नाणी. www.shivrajabhishek.org.
- 8.tamildictionary.org, Tamil. 'Dudandi' Meaning in English - Meanings of Marathi Words in English, English to Marathi Dictionary, Marathi to English Dictionary. marathidictionary.org.
- 9.Stevens, Paul. The coins of the Bombay Presidency; The Transitional Mints of the Deccan. Oriental Numismatic Society, Newsletter # 181. 11 Apr 2008.
- 10.B.E.I.C., Shivarai or Chhatrapati Paisa, struck at Poona 1820 - 1830. ZENO.RU - Oriental Coins Database. 10 Jul 2015.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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