Vira Chandra Manikya citing Queen Bhanumati, Silver Machine-struck Silver Presentation/ Nazarana Tanka, 10.11g, TE 1279, Obv: Coat of arms of the state Shield quarters a mermaid, a heart inverted, a right hand and five balls, four pennons on crest with trident and crescent, two Lions as supporters over motto which ends “…Saramekam Veerata”, date 1279 Tripurābda above, Rev: Bangla legend in five lines “Radha Krishna Pade / Shri Shri Yuta Vira Chandra / Manikya Deva Varmmā/ Shri Shrimati Bhanumati / Maha Devi” within beaded border (RB# 289, KM# 355). Rainbow toned. About uncirculated, extremely rare. Vira Chandra Manikya succeeded his elder brother in 1862 but was not formally installed till 1870, the date which marks the event on his coins. He married four times, to Queens Bhanumati I, Rajeshwari, Manomohini and Bhanumati II. The queen mentioned on this coin is undoubtedly Bhanumati I, because her name also appears on coins that immediately preceded the machine-struck tankas. It is likely that the dies for striking these coins were made in Birmingham at the Heaton mint. T. E. Coxhead the political agent in the state wrote in 1876 that “on occasions such as a Raja’s installation or marriage, coins are struck in commemoration of the event, but are not used as money”.