Moghul Empire – Akbar – Sūrat Mint, Silver – Type 1

Actual Weight (g)

Actual Diameter (mm)

Composition

Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	Denomination	Ilāhī	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
AK	√ 1070s.	-	Rupee	37	Zeno		RRR

Moghul Empire – Akbar – Sūrat Mint, Silver – Type 2

Actual Weight (g)

Actual Diameter (mm)

Composition

Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	Denomination	Ilāhī	Month	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
AK	√ 1071.	88.6	Rupee	38	Aban (possibly Jan)	Ste, CNG		RR

The month is clearly inscribed as 'Jān' (spirit, life, soul, energy, courage). There is no such Ilahi month. In the Punjab Museum Catalogue (1914), the coin is described as follows: Coin No. 355, a square ilahi rupee of the year 38, is the only known piece of Akbar bearing the name of this mint, but as both the mint-name and the name of the month, probably intended for Aban, are incorrectly spelt, the attribution to Surat cannot be called quite certain". (pag. lxxxiii)
Nevertheless the reading of the mint is generally accepted as being Surat. On other published specimen the month is given as Aban.
This seems in my opinion not correct and it is more likely that the legend Zarb Surat 38 Jān Ilahi may be interpreted as: “Struck at Surat in the year 38 of the Divine spirit”.
Not Din-Ilahi, as Akbar’s new religion is usually described, but Jan Ilahi. Both expressions seems to be similar.

(From Jan Lingen)