Assam SE 1709(8) rupee
This specimen was lot 704 in Steve Album Auction 54 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2026), where it sold for $1,560. The catalog description[1] noted, "ASSAM: Gaurinatha Simha, 1780-1796, AR rupee, SE1709 year 8, bold strike, PCGS graded MS63." Assam (Ahom Kingdom) began striking coins based on the rupee system in the 1600's. The design elements were borrowed from nearby Cooch Behar, but the octagonal shape was an invention of the Assamese. The Ahom script was used up through the reign of Gadadhara Simha, after which Sanskrit was used for most issues. Saka Era (SE) dates are 78 years earlier than current year dates in Western countries. Shown is a rupee From Guarinatha Simha with inscription in Assamese. This king ruled at a time when the kingdom was under siege from invaders in the east. Perhaps because of this he struck prolific coinage and rupees from his reign are by far the easiest to find. This type was struck most years during SE 1707-1717. It has a low catalog value.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 10.7-11.6 g, silver.
Catalog reference: KM-218.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 54, featuring selections from the Kenneth A. Bovenkamp Collection of Ottoman Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.
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