A coin I have never seen

[Pellinore]

A friend showed me some coins to identify. This is the first, a small but thick silverish coin of a type I have never seen and don't understand.

10 mm, 1.73g.

-- Paul

[saro]

British India :Madras Presidency / double fanam

[Seeker55]

Excellent ID, @saro. Here are a few examples in Zeno.

http://search.zeno.ru/index.php?v=0&ar=on&c=India&t=&k=&d=&wmin=1.6&wmax=1.85&smin=8&smax=11&m=&ymin=&ymax=&y=&u=&n=&a=double+fanam&e=&f=0&s=0

It says there they were struck from 1764-1807

[Pellinore]

Dear friends, thanks very much for this fast identification!

Google delivers the description of what we see on the coin, the explanation of the two mysterious hoops on the reverse:
Silver 2 or Double Fanam, 1.8g, third issue, obv. large figure of Vishnu standing, rev. interlocked C's for Charles II, no date, issue of 1764-1807 (Prid 18). Charles II reigned 1660-1685, and it was in 1684 the Madras Presidency was formed. So - logical.

And here is it on Numista.

-- Paul