Any Mughal Emperors, Mohur experts here?

pheh · July 12, 2011 8:01AM

Bought this about a year ago, and its just been collecting dust. Been through Krause and any online information I could find.

Closest match I could get from image comparison was:

Mughal Emperors. Jalal al-Din Akbar. 1556-1605. AV Square Mohur (19mm, 10.59 gm, 9h). Urdu Zafar Qarin mint. Dated year alif (AH 1000-1591/2 AD). Kalima within diamond / Titles of Akbar with mint. KM 112.4

However, mine is 18mm, 12.33 gr, and the designs aren't an absolute match (though darn close).

Anyone here with a pretty good knowledge of these?

DCH · July 12, 2011 10:51AM

Temple Token

pheh · July 12, 2011 11:14AM

<< <i>Temple Token >>

First, thanks for your reply. I wouldn't be surprised to find out this piece is a replica - but I have no idea what a Temple Token is and don't see any pieces on that site that really come close to matching this one.

This coin referenced in the original post is quite close, though dimensions, weight variance (apparently not too uncommon with real Mohurs) and subtle design differences are present.

found here: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=253894

Can you offer some insight as to why the coin in the OP is a Temple Token? I'd like to avoid filing this piece until I'm confident it has no real numismatic value.

DCH · July 12, 2011 12:10PM

It's usually safe to assume Akbar Rupees/Mohurs that don't quite match the book are temple tokens.

In this case it's a bad assumption as your piece appears to actually be a coin. KM#112.4 as you posted.
Here's another example with specs closer to yours.
Whether it's real or counterfeit is beyond my knowledge.

CIVITAS · July 13, 2011 2:09AM

There will always be slight variations in design on these, as they were hand engraved dies.

A coin struck from the same pair of dies as yours was auctioned by Baldwin's on 5/5/09:

Auction 59-60
Auction date: 5 May 2009
Lot number: 564
Price realized: 380 GBP
Lot description:
Foreign Coins. India. Mughal. Akbar, Square Gold Heavy Mohur, Urdu Zafar Qarin, alif (AH 1000), 12.25g (KM 119.4). very fine, scarce.

pheh · July 13, 2011 4:06AM

Many thanks to both of you. It certainly "felt" right for what I bought it for, but I was so far out of my area of knowledge I wouldn't have been taken aback at all to find out it was a replica.

Time to dig up some Persian writing resources so I can have a better idea of what I'm looking at.

Any Mughal Emperors, Mohur experts here?

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