Enigmatic Copper: possibly Malwa Opium Trade coin; Dhar or Panna copy?

[Salvete]

Oesho makes some extremely good points about these 'false' coins but maybe it is a bit more complicated?  Firstly, the British attitude towards 'false' coins was not the same as that of the Indian State durbars, and that is the basic reason why so many cases started by the British in British coutrts brought in 'not guilty' verdicts, or were withdrawn part way through.  Under Indian rules and traditions, producing copper specie was not regarded as the same kind of act as striking coin in precious metal, which alway happened in a durbar mint or one specifically designated as permitted to do so, and under strictly controlled conditions.  Copper coin production was more loosely controlled, and from the sort of coins we are finding, maybe hardly controlled at all in some places.  First we have 'copies' and they can be seen as such because they are clearly intended to look like a particular coin, and pass as current in its place.  Some of these might have been 'forgeries'.  Then we have coins, like the one above, that 'imitate' coins of other places.  It is not a 'copy' because it is clearly different.  Hanuman carries a trishul instead of Mount Abu, a nod towards Shaivism.  The reverse looks a bit like the altar found on Indore coins that have a bull (Nandi?) and altar design that changes little from one coin to the next.  This is also a Shaivite symbol.  This coin above seems to have a similar altar, but is not 'copied' from the Indore type.  In that it has one side that 'imitates' coins of Dhar or Bharmawal and another that might be a 'imitation' (not a 'copy') of an Indore design, in that respect it is a 'hybrid' coin.  Dr Bhatt in his paper about Dhar coins, points out this 'hybrid' aspect of many coins of 'the Dhar area', albeit without using that word, that were apparently made that way to appeal to populations on two sides of a state border.  This same phenomenon can be seen elsewhere, such as 'Najibabad' upright fish coupled with Sikh legends.
  We also read in English records of 'false' coins 'of original stamp'.  These must include the plethora of coins of Dhar or the Dhar area (probably largely struck near Sailana, as pointed out by Oesho) with patterns found nowhere else, including a lot of geometric patterns.
  There were stil, of course, coins being struck at durbar mints throughout Malwa for the whole of the 19th century, and these we might designate 'official' strikes.  Then there are cheaper coins struck in the same places or in workshops to which that function had been farmed out, but where control was less firm.  These struck 'semi-official' specie.  Then we have 'privateer' workshops, operating without much supervision, only for private profit, where the output might be called 'unofficial.'  That is why the coins are of variable weight, variable quality and variable in relation to the designs of coins from durbar mints.
  Comments please.  A lot of people must disagree with my theory?  Let's discuss it properly.
Salvete