Fanam was the currency used historically in major parts of

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

, especially during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. Fanam is the anglicized form of the native word , meaning "coin" or "wealth" (

punch marked coins Punch-marked coins, also known as ''Aahat coins'', are a type of early coinage of India, dating to between about the 6th and 2nd centuries BC. It was of irregular shape. History The study of the relative chronology of these coins has successful ...

). It may specifically refer to: *

Madras fanam The fanam (or panam in the local language of Tamil) was a currency issued by the Madras Presidency until 1815. It circulated alongside the Indian rupee, also issued by the Presidency. The fanam was a small silver coin, subdivided into 80 copper '' ...

, a currency issued in Madras Presidency, now part of Tamil Nadu, India *

Travancore fanam The Travancore Fanam was a type of money that was issued by the State of Travancore, now mainly a part of Kerala in South India. The Fanams (also spelt ''Fanoms'') and Chuckrams (or ''Chakrams'') were known to be some of the smallest coins in th ...

, a currency issued in Travancore State, now part of Kerala, India

See also