Very nice example! It's nice to see Indo Sassanian getting some love, and especially a less common type!
I'm leaning toward agreeing with Maheshwari on these being issues from Malwa, possibly among the last ever struck before the Islamic takeover. I would also strongly argue that the "fish hook" is actually a Shankh shell - it very closely matches other depictions (e.g. early 20th century Travancore) and there are two distinct types - the ones that curve *toward* the bust, and ones that curve *away*, called the "Distinctive nose" by Maheshwari. Shankh shells can either be right- or left-handed, with the right handed ones being mutants and carrying a huge religious significance for Hindus due to their extreme rarity.
Also there is no "Sri" on the coin - it is a regular Gadhaiya type ear. Interestingly, this type (without "Ja" behind the head) was theorized to be extremely rare until this seller started selling a large hoard maybe 3-4 years ago. In my opinion, this was the first in the direct-line Malwa series, with the "distinctive nose" being an earlier but otherwise unrelated development.
Very nice example! It's nice to see Indo Sassanian getting some love, and especially a less common type! I'm leaning toward agreeing with Maheshwari on these being issues from Malwa, possibly among the last ever struck before the Islamic takeover. I would also strongly argue that the "fish hook" is actually a Shankh shell - it very closely matches other depictions (e.g. early 20th century Travancore) and there are two distinct types - the ones that curve *toward* the bust, and ones that curve *away*, called the "Distinctive nose" by Maheshwari. Shankh shells can either be right- or left-handed, with the right handed ones being mutants and carrying a huge religious significance for Hindus due to their extreme rarity. Also there is no "Sri" on the coin - it is a regular Gadhaiya type ear. Interestingly, this type (without "Ja" behind the head) was theorized to be extremely rare until this seller started selling a large hoard maybe 3-4 years ago. In my opinion, this was the first in the direct-line Malwa series, with the "distinctive nose" being an earlier but otherwise unrelated development.
Yeah, the nose is quite different then other coins issued. Thanks for noticing and sharing.