2018-01-12 Fri

The coinage of the Mughal Empire occupies a unique position in Indian history of numismatics. Endowed with the imagination and magnificence of Akbar and Jahangir and fostered by the later Mughal emperors, Mughal presented a breath taking example of coinage art and the wealth.

Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India. His reign lasted for almost half a century (from 1658 to 1707) and was marked by several conquests and the vast expansion of the Mughal Empire.

Aurangzeb forbade the use of Kalima to prevent its defiling as they passed through the hands of men His coins used poetic verses to praise his rule on the obverse and the reverse had a formula that was copied by all succeeding Mughals including the regnal year of the emperor along with the mint place.

This silver Rupee of Aurangzeb which weighs around 11.44g minted in 1119AH at Mahmud Bandar. The obverse of the coin is inscribed with Persian legend ‘Sikka Zad Dar Jahan Chu Badr Munir Shah Aurangzeb Alamgir’. The reverse of the coin is read as ‘Zarb Mahmud Bandar Sanah 51 Julus Mainamat Manus’. This coin was sold for INR 2,00,000 by Classical Numismatic Gallery.