India Travancore 4 and 8 Cash, and 1 Chuckram 1901 to 1935

In the Princely State of Travancore in India, copper coins come in CASH and CHUCKRAM denominations. Other coins, fanams and rupees, are made of silver. This page applies to the copper pieces. The primary picture comes from major eBay seller CoinWorldTV.

The RV monogram indicates ruler Rama Varma VI who reigned from 1885 to 1924AD. Later coins carry Bala Rama Varma II (BRV, in our secondary picture) from 1924 to 1949.

The Standard Catalog of World Coins calls out values for these neat Indian pieces. Interest is growing for Indian coins, and as collector demand increases, so will value.

4 CASH (RV monogram)
worn: less than $1 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $2
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated: $10

8 CASH (RV monogram)
worn: less than $1 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $6
fully uncirculated: $12

1 CHUCKRAM (RV monogram)
worn: $2 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $20
fully uncirculated: $30
note: the above values are for chuckrams with legend CHUCKRAM ONE; coins with legend ONE CHUCKRAM are more common and their values are about half those shown

4 CASH (BRV monogram)
worn: less than $1 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $1
well preserved: $2
fully uncirculated: $4

8 CASH (BRV monogram)
worn: less than $1 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $1
well preserved: $3
fully uncirculated: $5

1 CHUCKRAM (with portrait of BRV)
worn: less than $1
average circulated: $1
well preserved: $2
fully uncirculated: $5

CoinQuest thanks CoinWorldTV for use of their coin photo. They have also provided this interesting piece of history on the Indian Princely State of Travancore:

'Kingdom of Travancore was a princely state in the Indian subcontinent, with its capital at Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. It comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, the Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu. Its ruler was accorded a 19-gun salute during the long period under the suzerainty of the British Empire. Maharaja Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the founder of 'modern Travancore'. The state's flag was red with a silver, dextrally-coiled, sacred conch shell (Turbinella pyrum). After India's independence in 1947, Travancore and the princely state of Cochin merged on 1 July 1949 to form the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin. Later Travancore-Cochin joined with the Malabar district of the Madras State (modern day Tamil Nadu), on 1 November 1956, to form the Indian state of Kerala. The last Maharajah was Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and the last Dewan was PGN Unnithan.'
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