Mysore AH 1200/4 4 pagodas Fr-1354a
This specimen was lot 42312 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $31,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "Stunning Mysore Mohur in Near-Gem Quality, INDIA. Mysore. Mohur, AH 1200 Year 4 (1785/86). Patan (Seringapatan) Mint. Tipu Sultan. NGC MS-64. Mohurs from Mysore are vanishingly RARE, with most gold issues being struck on the heavy Pagoda standard, with the 11 gram Mohur issue only being used at the beginning of the reign of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan. This example is somewhat later than one would expect to find, with a clear date of AH 1200; the fourth year of Tipu Sultan's reign and a time by which one would expect the coinage standard to have been fixed. In addition to the absurd RARITY of the piece, the present offering displays a bright luster, with sharp applied details and no damage, as other examples often feature a shroff mark. Given the elusive nature of the type, we foresee no shortage of active bidders seeking to add this example to their holdings." The auctioneers don't give the weight of this example; this datum would allow us to decide whether it really is a mohur (11.6 g) or a four pagodas (13.6 g) as stated by the SCWC. It is listed for years AH 1197-1200 (regnal years 1-4) and AM 1215-1219 (regnal years 5-9). The Indian state of Mysore, under her rulers Haider Ali (1761-82) and Tipu Sultan (1782-99), was a serious thorn in the side of the British Raj.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.60 g, gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-1354A; cf. KM-B129 (4 Pagodas).
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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