2018-01-02 Tue

This is a very mysterious Silver coin of Akbar, with the date 965 AH and struck to a ‘Tanka’ standard, weighing around 10.28g. The obverse of the coin bears the Kalima- ‘La Ilaha Illalah Muhammadur Rasulullah’ (There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). The reverse of the coin is inscribed with Persian legend ‘Jala al-Din Muhammad Akbar Badshah Gazi’. There is a date 965 above the name, although at this time the calligraphy for number 5 has changed.

There are traces of a word above the King’s name which appears to end in Ganw. This ending is usually seen for mints like Chatgaon (Chittagong), Sunargaon, or Satgaon. The style and calligraphy of the coin also suggests a Bengal origin. In 965 AH there was hardly any Mughal presence in Bengal, but it is possible that a Mughal partisan might have issued this coins.

There is no doubt that it is an interesting piece particularly with regards to the History of Bengal. This coin was sold for INR 15,000 by Classical Numismatic Gallery.