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Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Gold, Mohur – Muḥammad Shāh 1719 to 1748 – Mint Name: Arkot

Permission to strike coins with the Arkot mint name was obtained on 4^th November 1742. Both gold and silver coins were initially issued from a new mint at Chintadripetta just outside Madras. No gold coins are currently known.

sikka mubārak bādshāh ghāzī muḥammad shāh (= the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor Muḥammad Shāh)	ẓarb arkāt sanah (RY) julūs maimanat mānūs (= Struck at Arkot in the (RY) year of tranquil prosperity).

Official Weight (g)

10.88

Actual Weight (g)

?

Actual Diameter (mm)

?

Composition

Gold

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	√ Comments	Rarity
2.46	171.	111	None known to exist. Recorded from Pridmore.	NR

Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Silver, Rupee – Muḥammad Shāh 1719 to 1748 – Mint Name: Arkot

Unless the left side of the obverse is visible, it is very difficult to distinguish coins of Muhammad from those of Ahmad. The reverse types described below have been attributed to Muhammad. See Arkot mint for description of differences between Muhammad. Ahmad and Ālamgīr coins.

sikka mubārak bādshāh ghāzī muḥammad shāh [AH] (= the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor Muḥammad Shāh [AH]).		ẓarb arkāt sanah (RY) julūs maimanat mānūs (= Struck at Arkot in the (RY) year of tranquil prosperity).
Reverse variety I at the top and variety II below. NB the variety I rupees have only a single group of dots in the obverse top line whilst variety II have several. However, these are often not visible

Official Weight (g)

11.43

Actual Weight (g)

10.96-11.41

Actual Diameter (mm)

19.0-21.2

Composition

Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Rev	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
2.47	√ 175.	-	I	115x	x	Ste, AshM, RJ, HC	See also, Fitzwilliam Museum. A single dot group at the top of the obverse below the ruler. The coin shown in Pr. is of this type.	R
2.47C	√ 175c.	-	II	115x	x	Ste, Tody, RJ	Multiple dot groups at the top of the obverse below the ruler.	RR

Reverse Varieties

Dots	There are differences in the dots surrounding julūs.

	I	II
Dots	Large dot above julūs, 4 dots to right of a diamond below julūs	Medium sized dot to left of lotus. 3 or 4 dots to right of a diamond below julūs.

Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Gold, Mohur – Ahmad Shah 1748 to 1754 – Mint Name: Arkot

..

The coin shown above appeared on eBay, described as a gold mohur of Aḥmad Shāh, with a weight of 13.00g. This is far too heavy for a genuine mohur of Aḥmad Shāh. It may be a cast made from a rupee?

No genuine gold mohurs of Aḥmad are known

Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Silver, Rupee – Ahmad Shah 1748 to 1754 – Mint Name: Arkot

The French occupied Madras from 1746 until 1749 and the mint was not rebuilt there until 1754. Thus, most of these coins must have been struck at Fort St. David (Cuddalore). See Arkot mint for description of differences between Muhammad. Ahmad and Ālamgīr coins.

sikka mubārak bādshāh ghāzī aḥmad shāh bahādur (= the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor Aḥmad Shāh the valiant).		ẓarb arkāt sanah (RY) julūs maimanat mānūs (= Struck at Arkot in the (RY) year of tranquil prosperity).

	Rupee	Half Rupee
Official Weight (g)	11.43	5.72
Actual Weight (g)	10.83-11.78	5.72
Actual Diameter (mm)	19.4-21.2	17.0
Composition	Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Denomination	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
2.48	√ 176.	135	Rupee	1162	Ahd(=1)	Ste, Noble, Noon		R
2.49	√ 177.	136	”	1163	2	Ste but no AH, HC, ClassNG		R
2.50	√ 178.	-	”	1164	3	Ste	Ref: Lingen.	R
2.51	√ 179.	137	”	xxxx	4	Ste but no date, RJ	Ref: Format 3/95.	R
2.52	√ 180.	-	”	1166	5	Ste		RR
2.53	√ 180c.	-	”	1166	6	RJ, HC	Ref: Craig Fernandez.	R
2.54	√ 181.	-	”	1167	7	Ste		R
2.55	182.	141	Half Rupee	xxxx	Ahd(=1)			RR

Rupees with the AH date visible are much rarer (RR).

Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Gold, Mohur – Ālamgīr II 1754 to 1759 – Mint Name: Arkot

sikka mubārak bādshāh ghāzī aziz al-dīn muḥammad ālamgīr (= the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor 'Ālamgīr. Chosen of the faith of Muḥammad).		ẓarb arkāt sanah (RY) julūs maimanat mānūs (= Struck at Arkot in the (RY) year of tranquil prosperity).

Actual Weight (g)

10.62-10.77

Actual Diameter (mm)

~18.3-18.6

Composition

Gold

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
2.56	√ 172.	-	xxxx	3	Bald		RRR
2.57	√ 173.	-	xxxx	6	Noon	Ref: Puddester	RRR

Madras Mint – Early Coinages – Silver, Rupee – ‘Ālamgīr II (1754 to 1759) – Mint Name: Arkot

See Arkot mint for description of differences between Muhammad, Ahmad and Ālamgīr coins.

sikka mubārak bādshāh ghāzī aziz al-dīn muḥammad. ‘ālamgīr (= the auspicious coin of the Victorious Emperor 'Ālamgīr. Chosen of the faith of Muḥammad).		ẓarb arkāt sanah (RY) julūs maimanat mānūs (= Struck at Arkot in the (RY) year of tranquil prosperity).

	Rupee	Half Rupee	Quarter Rupee	Eighth Rupee	Sixteenth Rupee
Official Weight (g)	11.43	5.72	2.86	1.42	0.71
Actual Weight (g)	10.64-11.57	5.38-5.75	2.76-2.82	1.35-1.42	0.69
Actual Diameter (mm)	19.1-25.0	16.5-18.5	13.5-15.1	10.0-11.0	8.8-9.2
Composition	Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	Pr. No.	Denomination	AH	RY	Obv	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
2.58	√ 183.	-	Rupee	1167	Ahd (=1)	B	Ste, RJ	Ref: Chopra, Lingen. Hijri date almost never visible	R
2.59	184.	138	”	xxxx	2	B			RR
2.60	√ 184c.	-	”	1169	3	B	Ste but no AH, HC		R
2.61	√ 185.	139	”	1170	4	B	HC, Bald(from RJ)		R
2.62	√ 186.	139A	”	1171	5	B	Ste, RJ, Noon		R
2.62A	√ 183c.	-	”	1167	6	A	BT, HC, Marudhar	Mule of what may have been an initial unused (?) style Ālamgīr AH 1167 obverse with an Ālamgīr RY 6 reverse.	RR
2.63	√ 187.	140	”	1172	6	B	Ste, RJ, Noon	Fixed regnal year. Also recorded under Bengal 2.196. A coin dated 1182 has been seen but this may be a mistake for 1172? See photos.	C
2.64	√ 188.	142	Half Rupee	xxxx	6		Ste, Noon		RR
2.65	√ 189.	143	Quarter Rupee	”	6		Ste, Noon		RR
2.66	√ 190.	144	Eighth Rupee	”	6		RJ, Noon		RR
2.67	√ 191.	145	Sixteenth Rupee	”	6		Ste		RR

Coins with AH dates are very rare (RR)

Obverse Varieties

Date	The position of the AH date varies
Legend	The centre line of the legend normally has a group of four tiny dots amid three diamonds at left. Sometimes there is no dot group and an oddly formed letter below the left diamond.

	A	B
Date	Bottom Left	Top
Legend	No dot group	Dot Group