84 ' C. J. Rodgers — Coins struck at Nahan. [April, 



4. Coins struck at Nahan. — By C. J. RoDGERS. 



Savmfir is a small native state, in the lower Himalayas, not far 

 from Simla. At the present day it is famous for its iron works where 

 sugar mills are made which are hired out to sugar-cane-growing 

 farmers in the plains. The Maharaja is an •enlightened ruler and has 

 in his employ a staff of English Engineers. Nahan, the chief town of 

 the state is very prosperous and is lighted on European methods. Bat 

 it is Nahan at the beginning of the present centuiy I have to deal with. 

 In 1814 it was in the hands of the Gurkhas, and was held by Ranjor 

 Singh Thapa. On the 24th of December of that year, it was occupied 

 by British troops, and Ranjor Singh retired to Jaithak, a strong foit 

 a little to the north, which he did not evacuate till May 1815, when he 

 was allowed to march out with the arms and accoutrements of his 

 200 men. This was at the end of the Nepal War. The Gurkhas had 

 conquered the outer Himalayas as far as Kangra and had held posses- 

 sion of them for several years. There are coins in existence, struck 

 by the Gurkhas during this occupation. I have seen small silver coins 

 struck at Srinagar in Garhwal on which is the name of a Maharaja of 

 Nepal from which country the Gurkhas came. The coins I give below 

 are of copper, the first was struck at Nahan during the occupation by 

 the Gurkhas, th« second one afterwards. The legends on the first 

 coin I read as follows : — 



Obv. : — JRev. : — 



(5j) I — <i ( r r V a katar ^j^ 



j^ 



i.e., ji>^^ »'^ ^j^ ^^j^ c''^^^ *^l;f^'0 iSj^ 



Now, 1 have edited this coin in my Lahore Catalogue, Pt. lY, p. 64, 

 and have there made some extraordinary mistakes. I could not read 

 the last lines of the obverse as they were not on the coin. They are 

 here plain : — " (j^j^ 1." The top line I read " /«>^>c " and in my note I 



