India - Mogul India

Lot 3814    SESSION 12 (11.30am Thursday 23 July)    India - Mogul India

Estimate $2,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,000

JAHANGIR, (A.D. 1605-1628), gold Zodiac mohur (10.94 grams), Taurus type, Agra mint. Dated AH 1028, RY 14 (1618/19 AD), obv. bull standing left within radiate circle, rev. "The money of Agra gave ornaments to gold by Jahangir Shah, of Akbar Shah" with AH date and regnal year, (cf.KM.180.4, IMC 571, Hull 1381, BMC 325 [Pl.X]). Good very fine with obverse surface scratches and probably a later copy,

The somewhat careless engraving suggests a court presentation piece subsequent to Jahangir's reign. CNG Triton Sale January 10, 2006 (lot 1696) sold a similar piece from the same dies. CNG noted the following in their sale. The Emperor Jahangir struck a remarkable series of figural type rupees and mohurs, unprecedented for a Muslim prince. Besides extremely rare portrait pieces, he instituted a series of Zodiacal types, each one to be struck in the corresponding month. The obverse dies were reused from year to year, new dated reverses being produced for each subsequent issue. In addition, special specimen strikes were apparently produced for important visitors to the Mughal court, each receiving a coin with his Zodiac symbol. These Zodiac presentation coins continued to be struck for the Mughal emperors until the final dissolution of the empire in the 19th century. It is important to distinguish the early restrikes, which were official issues of the Mughal court, from the later imitations, which are private strikes made for purposes of bullion accumulation, or for the deception of collectors. Many of the official court types, both Jahangir's originals and the restrikes of his successors, are extremely rare, with no known complete set of the mohurs in private hands.