2016-09-20 Tue

Generally, coins are struck after the king ascends to the throne. But, Ghiyath Al Din Mahmud who was a Bengal sultan got a chance to strike his coin before becoming a Sultan.

Ghiyath Al Din Mahmud minted coins with his name while his brother, Nusrat Shah, was on throne.

Ghiyath Al din Mahmud acquired the throne in the year 939, but this coin has the date 933 on it, which signifies that he got a chance to strike coins with his name, six years before sitting on the throne.

Coins which were minted by him before becoming a sultan are known as “Badr Shahi” coinage. The word “Badr Shahi” is written in the central circle on the obverse side the coin along with the legend “Al Sultan bin al-Sultan Ghiyath Al-Dunya Wa’l din Abul Muzaffar Mahmud and the reverse read as “ Shah Al-Sultan Bin Husain Shah Al-Sultan Khallada Allah Mulkahu Wa Sultanahu.