Aurangzeb. Mint: Ahmedabad. ⅛ Rupee. Date AH 1113 / RY 4X.

[asm]

Fractions of the Rupees of most Mughal coins are now very difficult to encounter. More so in the case of Ahmedabad mint where half rupees in the name of most rulers are also rare to find. I have a couple of Half rupees of in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir minted at Ahmedabad but the quarter still eludes me. In fact, even when I concentrate on the coins of just 4 mints, I have never see a quarter rupee of Ahmedabad in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir. So a ⅛ Rupee was unthinkable. However, as luck would have it a ⅛ Rupee of Ahmedabad in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir was recently put up for sale in an auction. Date AH 1113 / RY 4X. Weight ≈ 1.41 g. Diameter 12.1 mm. As luck would have it and as Abhishek mentioned on my Fb post, finding all the details like Ruler, mint, date everything on a 1/8th rupee is just superb!.
I said luck since I had spotted the coin in the auction but almost gave it up since I could not fully confirm the mint name (which is fairly clear) and in a chance discussion with Abhishek, he sketched out the mint name and asked me to go for the coin. Jan further confirmed the mint name.....and there I am, a proud owner of a ⅛ Rupee of Ahmedabad, which till just a few weeks back, I was not sure that it existed. I do not think it is listed in KM nor uploaded on ZENO or on Paul Stevens website.

Amit

[Pellinore]

What a great little coin! I wonder, did it have a special use? Like British Maundy money maybe, given to some special people? I'm sure these coins were not really put into circulation.

--Paul

[asm]

Pellinore, no. This was a routine currency for daily use (if you were a big shot). A ⅛ Rupee would be 2 Annas or around 3 to 4 dams. A dam in those times would have sufficed to buy a months ration for the whole family. These would be coins used by the masses only when traveling or in B 2 B dealings. It would have been difficult for an ordinary person to handle these.

For scattering money there was a different currency - comparatively lighter than a coin of a similar denomination and called (it was written on the coin) Nisar.

Amit

[krishna]

Fractions of the Rupees of most Mughal coins are now very difficult to encounter. More so in the case of Ahmedabad mint where half rupees in the name of most rulers are also rare to find. I have a couple of Half rupees of in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir minted at Ahmedabad but the quarter still eludes me. In fact, even when I concentrate on the coins of just 4 mints, I have never see a quarter rupee of Ahmedabad in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir. So a ⅛ Rupee was unthinkable. However, as luck would have it a ⅛ Rupee of Ahmedabad in the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir was recently put up for sale in an auction. Date AH 1113 / RY 4X. Weight ≈ 1.41 g. Diameter 12.1 mm. As luck would have it and as Abhishek mentioned on my Fb post, finding all the details like Ruler, mint, date everything on a 1/8th rupee is just superb!.
I said luck since I had spotted the coin in the auction but almost gave it up since I could not fully confirm the mint name (which is fairly clear) and in a chance discussion with Abhishek, he sketched out the mint name and asked me to go for the coin. Jan further confirmed the mint name.....and there I am, a proud owner of a ⅛ Rupee of Ahmedabad, which till just a few weeks back, I was not sure that it existed. I do not think it is listed in KM nor uploaded on ZENO or on Paul Stevens website.

Amit

Wow, Congratulations on obtaining this rare find

[asm]

Wow, Congratulations on obtaining this rare find

Thanks, Krishna.

Amit

[Figleaf]

That coin couldn't have found a better place to snuggle in than your collection.

I am especially gratified with the cooperation between WoC members. They are a bit co-responsible for your find, not so much based on luck, but based on solid shared knowledge. That feels really good.

Peter

[Pellinore]

Pellinore, no. This was a routine currency for daily use (if you were a big shot). A ⅛ Rupee would be 2 Annas or around 3 to 4 dams. A dam in those times would have sufficed to buy a months ration for the whole family. These would be coins used by the masses only when traveling or in B 2 B dealings. It would have been difficult for an ordinary person to handle these.

For scattering money there was a different currency - comparatively lighter than a coin of a similar denomination and called (it was written on the coin) Nisar.

Amit

Thanks Amit, for the insight. I didn't know that even that humble dam was a valuable coin.
-- Paul

[asm]

I agree Peter. I

That coin couldn't have found a better place to snuggle in than your collection.

I am especially gratified with the cooperation between WoC members. They are a bit co-responsible for your find, not so much based on luck, but based on solid shared knowledge. That feels really good.

Peter

should have framed it as such. Help from fellow members, who have over years become good friends have resulted in helping each other get good coins. Last year, around the same time, Abhay helped me get a coin (he bid on my behalf because my internet connection was slow). Abhishek, Hussain, et all have been instrumental in helping me clear doubts on coins or pointing out coins that I have missed.....

WoC has been a place where I have made great friends...

Amit 

[abhinumis]

Great pick Amit ji. Happy I could help. I almost exhorted him to bid on the coin as he was less enthusiastic when we first talked.  . But getting a 1/8th with mint and date is so incredible!

[asm]

Well

Great pick Amit ji. Happy I could help. I almost exhorted him to bid on the coin as he was less enthusiastic when we first talked.  . But getting a 1/8th with mint and date is so incredible!

yes. As I said, I had read the mint name as Ahmed..... nagar... and that is where Abhishek chipped in. He also followed up twice to ensure I bid on the coin. Will never forget this......

Amit

[Figleaf]

 

[Coinsforever]

Well yes. As I said, I had read the mint name as Ahmed..... nagar... and that is where Abhishek chipped in. He also followed up twice to ensure I bid on the coin. Will never forget this......

Amit

I assume one of the best pick of 2023 although 1& 1/2 months period still remaining .
Heartiest congratulations 🎊 for this tiny piece of history.
Cheers

[asm]

I assume one of the best pick of 2023 although 1& 1/2 months period still remaining .
Heartiest congratulations 🎊 for this tiny piece of history.
Cheers

Thanks.
2023 has been a lucky year for me. I would rate this as one of the best additions to my collection this year but there are others too. Very recently, I picked up the Ahmedabad Rupee of Murad Baksh with the full month name clearly seen on the coin. Will be posting it as soon as I have the coin in hand. But as luck would have it, I also picked up a Surat Rupee of Murad Baksh with Month - a coin not listed in any catalogue. For this, I have to thank our member (though not very active) Husain Makda, who, in the course of a conversation, informed me that coins with month have been issued from all 3 mints of Murad and of course, Jan Lingen, who shared the links to the images of these coins (which are there on ZENO). As I said, luck helped. I browsed through an auction catalogue, just after seeing the coins on the links that Jan had given - and there was this coin, which I may not have given a second look (since I was not aware that Murad Baksh Surat coins also come with Month and I have a couple of the normal coins).

Amit

[capnbirdseye]

A crowning glory to your collection Amit, it's Amazing to find such a coin still survived, for added interest was there any auction information as to the previous owner of the coin?

[asm]

A crowning glory to your collection Amit, it's Amazing to find such a coin still survived,

Thanks, Vic, it is amazing that such a small coin has survived the the ages when small coins were melted away...... Finding a half rupee of Ahmedabad too is a difficult task today.....

for added interest was there any auction information as to the previous owner of the coin?

Unfortunately, Indian auctions do not provide any information on provenience....or previous owners except when the auction is a one where there is a collection for sale.

Amit