Indian Tipu Sultan Coin, 1 Paise, Elephant Motif

Elephant in profile with a trunk curled forward, riding a row of little dots.

This Tipu Sultan copper coin, one paise, with an elephant motif is from Karnataka, India. Coinage of Mysore under Tipu Sultan is known for unusual denominations and for designs such as the elephant, and its inscriptions were often in Persian script. Round, thick coin in dark brown with a crisp relief of an elephant facing left. A row of small round marks runs beneath the feet, and a curved line traces the edge at the left. The surface is smooth with a reddish glint. It is 0.88 inches in diameter.

Small change with a very large animal on it.