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Eternal India
encyclopedia
COINS
HEAVIEST GOLD COIN
Duriba Dar al-Khilalafat Agra
sanat-i julus 8
mutabiq bi-sanat 1022 Hijri
Has been struck at the Abode of the
Caliphat in Agra
eighth regnal year
corresponding to Hijri year 1022
Zi fayz didan muhur-u/
hazar naw beche ash
From the great gift of seeing his new-born
thousand mohur
Hazar bar bibatazz/
zi zevq Nur-u-Nazar
The Radiant Vision delights itself one
thousand times
Bi-Nam Nami o bad/
Sikka wa Khutba
May Coinage and the Khutba be in his
Famous Name
Berher ta bud ez/
Sikka wa zi Khutba. eser
So long as trace of Coin and Khutba
exist in time
of Nizam-I-Mulk Asaf Jah, the founder of the dynasty which ruled
Hyderabad.
Jehangir had ordered the issue of the world's largest coins in the
denomination of 200,500 and 1000 mohurs (a mohur was a gold coin
of about 11 grams). There are records of the issue of two coins of
1000 mohurs. The first one was called "The Star of Destiny"
(Kaw-Kab-i-tali) and was given to Yadgir Ali, the Ambassador of
the Shah of Iran in 1612.
THE PORTUGUESE INDIA COINAGE
Vasco-da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, first visited India in
1498 A.D. After his return to Portugal the entire sea trade with
India for over a century monopolised enjoyed by the Portuguese
who held control over a number of islands and small ports on the
western coast of India. However, they were confined to the ports
of Daman, Diu and Goa till they were
finally liberated in 1961. They issued
coins (Fig-13) of the currency they had in
their homeland but bearing distinct marks
to separate them from their homeland cur-
rency. In the last part of their coinage
known as colonial coinage the words “In-
dia Portugueza” were extensively used
on the coins.
THE DUTCH-INDIAN COINAGE
The United East India Company of the Netherlands was the
real successor tothe Portuguese in India. They had a good hold
over vasttracts of land and sea. However, they lost to the British
under the able leadership of Robert Clive who could be considered
the founder of the British empire in India. They started losing their
foothold and started ceding territories to the British and were com-
pletely routed from India in 1824, when their last territory Pullicat
was ceded to the British.
Few varieties of coins were issued by them locally. The Dutch
East India Company issued coins minted their homeland mints with
the provincial monogram on the obverse and the monogram of the
company on the reverse.
THE DANISH INDIA
Fig-14 Obverse
Reverse
COINAGE
The Danish Asiatic Company which
was formed in 1616 A.D. continued its
trade at the sea port of TRANQUEBAR
on the south coast of India. For more
than two centuries the Danes did trade
with India. Some gold coins were struck
at Copenhagen for circulation in India.
They continued their operations upto
1845 when they finally sold everything
to the British. The Danish issued coins
in lead known as KAS (Fig-14). They
also used copper, silver and gold in their
coinage.
THE FRENCH INDIA
COINAGE
During the reign of Louis XIV in the
year 1664 A.D the French established
'Campagnic des Indes Orientales'. The
French issued coins (Fig-15) on behalf
of the Mughal rulers and in the year
1723 A.D. they issued their own coins
bearing the symbol of Crown on one
side in silver, copper and bronze and
five-fleur-de-lys or 1730 inscribed on
the other side. The French also issued