Mughal Empire AH 1168/2 rupee KM-456.1

Steve Album sale 51, lot 2626

This specimen was lot 2626 in Steve Album Auction 51 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2025), where it sold for $288. The catalog description^[1] noted, "MUGHAL: Alamgir II, 1754-1759, AR rupee, Shahjahanabad, AH1168 year 2, superb deeply struck example, NGC graded MS63."

Wikipedia notes, "Mirza Aziz-ud-Din Muhammad (1699-1759), better known by his regnal name Alamgir II, was the fifteenth Mughal emperor from 1754 to 1759. Born Mirza Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah, was raised to the throne by Imad-ul-Mulk after he deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur in 1754. On ascending the throne, he took the title of Alamgir and tried to follow the approach of Aurangzeb (Alamgir I). At the time of his accession to the throne he was 55 years old. He had no experience of administration and warfare as he had spent most of his life in jail. He was a weak ruler, with all powers vested in the hand of his vizier, Imad-ul-Mulk.

In 1756, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India once again and captured Delhi and plundered Mathura. While the Marathas became more powerful because of their collaboration with Imad-ul-Mulk, and dominated the whole of northern India. This was the peak of the Maratha expansion, which caused great trouble for the Mughal Empire, already weak with no strong ruler. Relations between Alamgir II and his usurping vizier, Imad-ul-Mulk had now deteriorated, their troubled relation would culminate in the murder of Alamgir by Imad-ul-Mulk."

Recorded mintage: unknown but a common mint.

Specifications: 11.0-11.6 g, silver.

Catalog reference: KM-456.1.

Sources:

• Album, Stephen, Checklist of Islamic Coins, 3rd Ed. Santa Rosa, Stephen Album Rare Coins, 2011.
• 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 Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 51, featuring the Howard Daniel III Collection of Asian Coins, the Almer H. Orr III Collection of World Coins and the Joe Sedillot Collection of German Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2024.

Links:

• AH 1166/6 rupee, Muhammadabad Benares mint
• AH 1166/6 mohur, Shahjahanabad mint
• (1753-60) half fanam = 1/8 rupee
• AH 1167/1 mohur, Shahjahanabad mint
• AH 1169/2 rupee, Allahabad mint
• AH 1169/2 mohur, Shahjahanabad mint
• AH 1172/6 rupee, Muradabad mint
• Coins and currency dated 1754