Era : (c. 1200 – 1300 AD)
Dynasty : Paramaras of Malwa
Denomination : Dramma
Metal : Billon
Weight : 4.21 g
Diameter : 12.9 mm
Reference Number : Deyell 172

Obverse :
Devanagari legend Sri Om/ Kara in two lines.

Reverse :
Degenerate Indo-Sasanian style bust right,akshara “JA” to left.

Comment :
Coins bearing the legend “Sri Omkara”, or an abbreviation (Om), were issued from the Monastery of Omkara Mandhata in Malwa. It’s a famous temple stands on the banks of Narmada at Mandhata, within the Paramara realm.

The kingdom of the Paramaras in Malwa suffered a serious decline of power, security and prosperity in the thirteenth century. Their fierce rivals, the Vaghelas of Gujarat and the Yadavas of Devagiri, undertook frequent military campaigns into their territory. The nascent Delhi Sultans also took advantage of the confusion and weakness in Malwa to raid in force. The last powerful Paramara, Devapala (1218-39 CE), was apparently killed by the fugitive Chauhan Vagbhata, who temporarily held sway over the kingdom.
By this time, no seated-Lakshmi gold coin had been struck by the Paramaras since nearly two centuries previously (Naravarman in ch. 9, above). During this period, the function of money in the Paramara territories was increasingly fulfilled by the billon Bhillamala dramma (Gadhaiya paisa).’ This was an anonymous base-silver coinage descended from an Indo-Sasanian prototype. It was attributable to the diaspora of Bhillamala merchants of Srimali backgound, who brought this coinage type into use in Gujarat, Konkan, Maharashtra, and, latterly, Malwa.
Very scarce.