2018-10-20 Sat

A long time ago in 1798, there was an adventurer and military leader of Pashtun descent from Afghanistan called ‘Amir Khan'. He rose to the position of military commander in the service of Yashwantrao Holkar of the Maratha Empire. Amir Khan received the state of Tonks from Holkar's and later on, after the Third Anglo-Maratha war Amir accepted the British suzerainty in the year 1817.

Muhammad Ibrahim Ali Khan was the fourth Nawab of Tonk Princely State who ruled from 1868 to 1930 AD. He issued coins in gold, silver, and copper in different denominations and fractions from Sironj and Tonk mint. These coins were issued in the name of Queen Victoria and represent the Feather/Turban ornament as the mint mark.

One of his silver Rupee was sold for INR4,300 by Classical Numismatic Gallery. The coin bears a Persian couplet in the name of Ibrahim Ali Khan on obverse which is partially visible – ‘Sikka Mubarak zad za Fazal-i- Yazdan / Ra'ees-i- Tonk Ibrahim 'Ali Khan’ ("Struck auspicious coin by the grace of God, Ibrahim Ali Khan, the Elite (king) of Tonk"). The mint-name, also partly seen is 'Dar al-Zarb Tonk'.

Image Source: Classical Numismatic Galler