Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahaji II, Silver, Coronation Medal, 20.59g, 1947, Obv: Bust of Chhatrapati Shahaji II, facing front, within a circle, Devnagari legend “Chhatrapati Shahaji 2” above, “Hindu Pud Pad Shah” below, with morchels as separators, Rev: In the centre ‘Bhavani’ sword of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Devnagari legend “Jay Bhavani” within a circle, Devnagari legend “Karavir Rajya” above, date Je. Shu. (Jyesth Shukla) 13 Rajashaka 274 below (McClenaghan 189). Very fine, extremely rare.
Chhatrapati Shahaji II was born Vikram Simha Rao Puar and was the Maharaja of Dewas Sr. until he abdicated in favour of his son and succeeded to the vacant gaddi of Kolhapur on 31 March 1947, as the grandson of Shahu Chhatrapati of Kolhapur. He oversaw the merger of Kolhapur state in India on 1 March 1949. He died in 1983 at Kolhapur.