Bengal Presidency

Allahābād Mint – Silver, Rupee – INO Shāh ‘Ālam II – Shumshari Type

sikka zad bar haft kishwar sāya fazl ilāh hāmī dīn muḥammad shāh ‘ālam bādshāh [AH] (= Defender of the religion of Muḥammad, Shāh ‘Ālam Emperor, Shadow of the divine favour, put his stamp on the seven climes, [AH]).

NB Ball & sword

ẓarb allahābād sanah 26 julūs maimanat mānūs (=struck at Allahābād in the 26^th year of his reign of tranquil prosperity).

Actual Weight (g)

10.76-11.20

Actual Diameter (mm)

20.8-22.0

Composition

Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	AH	RY	Provenance	√ Comments	Rarity
8.7	√ 1776e.	586	1216	26	Ste, RJ, Zubayr	Shumshari rupee. Ball & sword on obverse. This was the transitional year. Some would belong to Awadh and some to the EIC. No known difference has been identified.	R
8.8	√ 1776f.		1217	26	Ste, IMC IV., RJ	Letter ‘A’ on reverse. At least three examples known.	RRR

Allahābād Mint – Silver, Rupee – INO Shāh ‘Ālam II – Lucknow Type

Allahābād was transferred to the British from the Nawāb Vizier of Awadh in 1801 (AH 1216) .

In September 1803 the mint committee sent an account of the coins produced since the mint had been occupied by the British. This showed two types of rupee to have been produced: The ‘Lucknow’ rupee and the ‘Shumshari’ rupee. The design of the Allahābād ‘Lucknow’ rupee is not known. It is possible that they are direct copies of the rupee struck at Lucknow itself, although this seems unlikely. Those rupees (shown below) have the mint name Muḥammadābād Banāras


Rupee of Muḥammadābād Banāras with no AH date


Usual rupee of Muḥammadābād Banāras with AH date 1218