| Obverse |
Legend: within central square: bahadur shah bin muhammad shah ghazi khallada allah mulkahu wa sultanahu, below, in Nagari: sri bahadur shah, date in left margin: AH (96)5. |
| Reverse |
Legend: within central square, Shahada, in margins, names of the four caliphs |
| Date |
AH 965 (= 1557-58) |
| Weight |
11.43 gm. |
| Diameter |
32 mm. |
| Die axis |
1 o'clock |
| Reference |
GG B967, Raj 587 |
| Comments |
Note the higher weight of this coin as compared to earlier Bengal Sultanate coins: it is a rupee! Sher Shah became Sultan of Bengal, and indeed of Delhi, in 1539 (AH 945). As part of his major monetary reform soon thereafter, he created and introduced the rupee, which became the standard coinage in Bengal and most of the rest of India. This is a SUPERB specimen of an early rupee, in almost as-struck condition with original lustre, on a huge 32 mm flan. The photo does not do justice to the coin. |