Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 1609. Estimate $400.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

INDIA, Chola Kings. Rajaraja I. 985-1014. Base AV Kahavanu (4.32 gm, 6h). Seated tiger with two fishes, Tamil legend "Chola, conqueror of the Gangas" / Same. Cf. Mitchiner, Southern India, 332ff (silver); cf. MNI 741 (as Rajendra; silver) EF. ($400)

Rajaraja seized the Karnataka region from the Gangas, and also invaded Sri Lanka in 1001. He introduced a gold coinage into southern India copied from the Tamil issues of Sri Lanka with standing king type. His standard tiger and fish kahavanus are usually silver, but this piece has a visible gold content and must be considered a provisional issue.