The Amman Kaasu of Pudukkottai was a coin of very denomination. This was a unique coin which was issued only by the Pudukkottai State of South India.

British India was divided into several administrative categories. There was the Presidency India, which comprised of states rules by British Governors under the Viceroy.

The other category was the Native Ruled India. This comprised of 552 Samasthaans ruled by native rulers known variously as Maharajas, Maharanas, Rajas, Ranas, Raos, Nawabs, Nizam, and other miscellaneous titles. Some were very large, drawing very large revenues. Some were very small. The States were classified into A.B,C. etc., categories. The categories depended upon the special rights, privileges, articles of protocol, and marks of respect like the gun-salute. Certain most privileged states had the right of issueing their own stamps and coinage. Travancore and Pudukkottai were among those few.

The hereditary Maharaja of Pudukkottai, known as dynastically as the Thondaimaan had the privilege of issueing his own coinage. Since his 2000 square miles kingdom of a couple of million people was land-locked into the larger British territory of Madras Presidency, the Thondaimaan decided to exercise his special privilege as only a token. So he issued only one denomination of coin. This was the famous Amman Kaasu of Pudukkottai.

The Amman Kaasu is so-named after the presiding Goddess of Pudukkottai, Brihadhambaal.

Brihadh Ambal or Periya Naachiyaar is the tutelary deity of the dynasty of the Thondaimaans.

There was a rebellion in Pudukkottai at one time. The ruling Thondaimaan's own kinsmen were contesting for the throne of Pudukkottai. The odds were against the Thondaimaan.

A scheme was proposed by the able Divan of the Samasthaan, called Sesha Saasthrigal.

Accordingly, the Thondaimaan decreed that, henceforth the Sovereign State of Pudukkottai would be the property of the Goddess Brihadh Ambal. The Thondaimaan will hereafter administer the state as Her Viceroy. Anybody rebelling against the State, also commits sin and heresy against the Supreme Goddess, who is the true ruler of the state.

Thereafter, Thondaimaan kings added a prefix to their string of titles -

Sri La Sri Brihadh Ambal Daasa, Jamshad JamBahadhur, etc., etc., So-and-So Thondaimaan Maharaja of Pudukkottai.

They also ruled happily ever after - until the Sun set at long last in the British Empire where the Sun was said to never set.

The Amman Kaasu, though small in denomination was able to buy small items of food, snacks, and fruits. Twelve Amman Kaasu were equal to one quarter anna at one time.

The coin was also of very small dimensions. It was less than one centimeter in width.
On one side, there is the figure of BrhathambaL. The other side has Telugu letters
which spell Vijaya. It is a remnant from the dyas when PuukkOttai was under the
dominoins of the Mayak Kinddom of madurai; which in turn was under the mighty
Vijayanagar Empire which were both of Telugu/Kannarese hegemony.

It was made of highly pure copper. At the time of the Indian Independance, there was an abundance of these coins. But they were collected by the sackfuls and bought by the copper-smiths and gold-smiths, who melted them down into metallic copper.

Thus they became extinct, existing only in the private collection of the Numismatologists.

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