2017-02-17 Fri

Nasir Al-Din Mahmud (AH 944-961; AD 1537-1553) was Sultan of Gujarat. It is said when he sat on the throne the fall of Gujarat Sultanate began. But this did not affect his coinage. He issued coins in gold, silver, copper and billon.

Gold coins issued by him were struck for a large period and were struck at 12g standard. Silver coins issued by him were struck at the later period of his reign; probably from the year AH 959 with the 7g gram standard. Copper coins issued by him are in large numbers and were also struck in many varieties.

There are two types of legend which we basically see on the obverse side; they are ‘Al-Wathiq’ and ‘Nasir’ legend. ‘Al-Wathiq’ legend which reads as ‘Al-Wathiq Billah Al-Mannan Nasir Al-Dunya Wa’l Din Abul Fath’ it is found gold, silver, copper and one of the billon coins. Nasir legend is the same but it is without ‘Al-Wathiq Billah Al-Mannan’. Reverse legend are of three types ‘Mahmud Shah’, ‘Mahmud Al-Sultan’ or ‘Mahmud Shah Bin Latif Shah Al-Sultan’.

One of his gold tanka which weighs around 11.9g minted in the year AH 948 was sold for 75,000 at Todywalla Auction held in Mumbai on 2nd December 2015. Obverse side of the coin reads as ‘Al-Wathiq Billah Al-Mannan Nasir Al-Dunya Wa Al Din Abul fath’ meaning ‘He who trusts in Allah, the most generous, the protector of the world and the fath, father of Victory’. And the reverse side of the coin read as ‘Mahmud Shah Bin Latif Shah Al-Sultan’ within Double Square, date written in the margin. To view similar coin click here.