Sashti, Copper Paisa, 6.90g, Obv: Marathi legend Pra Sashti in two lines; a vertical stroke after Pra indicating a short form of ‘Prant’ (county), Rev: Marathi legend Shake, followed by a date 96 (M&W T1). Extremely fine, extremely rare. The County of Sashti is identified with the region of present day Greater Mumbai with Thane as its headquarters. It came under the Maratha rule as a result of the Bassein (Vasai) campaign of Baji Rao I in 1740. It remained under Maratha control until 1774 when the British of Bombay occupied it in the course of the first Anglo-Maratha War. It was permanently ceded to the British in 1782. The date on the coin, ‘Year 96’, is perhaps the only instance of dating encountered on a Maratha coin reckoned in the ‘Coronation Era’ of Shivaji, which began in 1674. The 96th year of this Era would correspond to 1770, which is just before the British conquest of Sashti.