CASH or Kas, in the old Madras currency, a small coin of which 10 = 1 doodie, now valued as 2 pice, and 80 cash going to a fanarn ; 45 fanams being equal to 1 star pagoda. According to the old Madras system, accounts were kept in star pagodas, fanams, and kas.
8 kas = 1 fanam 336 „ = 42 (silver) fanams = 1 pagoda.
The E.L Company reckoned 12 fanams to the rupee, and three and a half rupees to the pagoda. Butthe bazar exchange fluctuated between 35 and 45 silver fanams per pagoda ; fanams were also coined in a base gold.
Copper 1, 5, 10, and 20 kas pieces were coined in England, by contract, for Madras, so lately as 1797. The 20 kas was also called ' dodo' and falus. The star pagoda weighed 52.56 grains, and was nineteen one-fifth carats fine. It was therefore intrinsically worth 7s. 54d.sterling, but it was com monly valued at 8s. Many varieties of the pagoda used to circulate on the Coromandel coast, but since 1833 they have been only obtainable when sought for.
In 1811 a coinage from Spanish dollars took place, consisting of double rupees, rupees, halves, and quarters ; and pieces one, two, three and five fanams ; the rupee weighed 186/ grains. A
silver coinage of half and quarter pagodas, of dollar fineness, also then 'took place ; the half pagoda weighed 326'73 grains troy, and was equal to 1 arcot rupees. By a proclaination of 7th January 1818, the silver rupee of 180 grains was constituted the standard coin, and all accounts and public engagements were ordered to be converted at the exchange of 350 rupees per 100 pagodas.
The proportion between the old and now currency then became 31 rupees per pagoda, and in copper kas old currency equals 14 paisa new currency.
Kas may be a corruption of the Sanskrit word Karsha, which is mentioned in Colebrooko's Essay on Indian Weights, as the same with the word pan. A karsha, or 80 raktika (rati) of copper, is called a pals or karsha-pana. It is new the eightieth part of a pan •, but the simple word is all that can be identified as having survived the changes of system.
In Britain, cash' has come to mean ready money, also copper or silver money. In India it is still, along with the cowrie, used to indicate a small sum.