Akbar - Coins

Coins

Akbar was a great innovator as far as coinage in concerned. The coins of Akbar set a new chapter in India's numismatic history. The coins of Akbar's grandfather, Babur, and father, Humayun, are basic and devoid of any innovation as the former was busy establishing the foundations of the Mughal rule in India while the latter was ousted by the Afghan, Farid Khan Sher Shah Suri, and returned to the throne only to die a year later. While the reign of both Babur and Humayun represented turmoil, Akbar's relative long reign of 50 years allowed him to experiment with coinage.

Akbar introduced coins with decorative floral motifs, dotted borders, quatrefoil and other types. His coins were both round and square in shape with a unique 'mehrab' (lozenge) shape coin highlighting numismatic calligraphy at its best. Akbar's portrait type gold coin (Mohur) is generally attributed to his son, Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir), who had rebelled and then sought reconciliation thereafter by minting and presenting his father with gold Mohur's bearing Akbar's portrait. The tolerant view of Akbar is represented by the 'Ram-Siya' silver coin type while during the latter part of Akbar's reign, we see coins portraying the concept of Akbar's newly promoted religion 'Din-e-ilahi' with the Ilahi type and Jalla Jalal-Hu type coins.

The coins below represent a few of these innovative concepts introduced by Akbar that set the precedent for Mughal coins which was refined and perfected by his son, Jahangir, and later by his grandson, Shah Jahan.

• Gold Heavy Square Mohur, 12g, Urdu Zafar Qarin Mint, Alif (AH 1000)

• Gold Mohur, 10.9g, Ahmedabad Dar-us-Sultanat Mint, AH 986, Dotted Border Type

• Gold Mohur, 10.82g, Dar-ul-Khilafat Agra Mint, AH 977, Quatrefoil Type

• Gold Mohur, 10.88g, Ahmedabad Mint, AH 981, Square Area Type

• Silver Square Rupee, Jalla Jalal-Hu Type

• Silver Rupee, Lahore Mint, Ilahi 49, Tir Month, Ornamental 8-Pointed Star Allah-Hu-Akbar Type

• Silver Rupee, Patna Mint, Ilahi Type, RY 48

• Silver Rupee, Dar-ul-Khilafat Agra Mint, AH 978, Square Area Type

• Silver Rupee, Ahmedabad mint, AH 987, Dotted Square Type