Item number: A278

Year: AD 1556-1580

Material: Gold

Size: 18.3 x 18.1 x 2.1 mm

Weight: 12.04 g

Manufactured by: Lahore, India

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a square Mohur gold coin, rich in Indian characteristics, minted approximately during the early reign of Akbar, known as the “Great Emperor” in the history of the Mughal Empire. On the obverse side of the square coin is a diamond-shaped outline, within which the familiar Muslim Kalima is inscribed in Persian, stating, “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” At the corners surrounding the outline are the names of the four rightly guided caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. On the reverse side of the coin, written in the Nastaliq script popular in the Indian subcontinent, is the emperor’s title and the place of minting: Lahore.

While the Mughal Empire’s commercial trade primarily revolved around silver coins, the Mohur gold coin, often issued by the emperor as gifts or to commemorate special occasions, held significant cultural and ceremonial value. During Akbar’s reign, there was a peak in the minting of Mohur coins in the empire.

Besides the commonly seen circular coins, there were also rectangular and even polygonal coins, reflecting the distinct characteristics of the Indian subcontinent. Around the year AD 1580, Akbar adjusted the inscriptions and calendars on the coins to lessen the Islamic influences. Additionally, he minted a few Mohur coins featuring imagery of living creatures, particularly duck, which was considered controversial and potentially conflicting with Islamic doctrines.

During the reign of Akbar, from AD 1556 to AD 1605, as the third emperor, he led the Mughal Empire to its zenith. Not only did Akbar expand the empire’s territories externally, but he also implemented policies of religious tolerance domestically. He elevated the status of indigenous Hindus and encouraged the development of culture and education, earning him the title of the greatest emperor of the Mughal Empire.

物件編號: A278

年代: 公元 1556-1580 年

材料: 黃金

尺寸: 18.3 x 18.1 x 2.1 mm

重量: 12.04 g

製造地: 拉哈爾，印度

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚極富印度特色的方形莫哈爾金幣，其鑄造時間大致落在蒙兀兒帝國歷史上，稱作「大帝」的阿克巴即位初期。方形金幣正面是一個菱形輪廓，輪廓內以波斯文鐫刻穆斯林熟悉的清真言，即「萬物非主，唯有真主，穆罕默德是真主的使者」。周圍的角落則是四位正統哈里發：阿布·巴克爾(ابو بكر)、歐瑪爾(عمر)、奥斯曼(عثمان)和阿里(على)的名諱。金幣背面以流行於南亞次大陸的「波斯體」伊斯蘭書法，寫上皇帝頭銜和鑄造地點：拉哈爾。

蒙兀兒帝國的商業貿易以銀幣為主，稱為「莫哈爾」的金幣多半是皇帝作為賞賜或慶祝特殊節慶發行的禮物。阿克巴統治時期是帝國鑄造金幣的高峰。除了常見的圓形外，亦有極富印度次大陸特色的矩形，甚至是多角形的不同形狀。公元1580年之際，阿克巴為淡化伊斯蘭信仰的色彩，針對錢幣的銘文和曆法作調整外，還鑄造些許有違背伊斯蘭教義嫌疑，即出現活物「鴨子」圖像的莫哈爾金幣。

公元1556年至公元1605年間，阿克巴作為第三任皇帝帶領蒙兀兒帝國走上巔峰。阿克巴對外擴充帝國的疆域外，內政上實施宗教寬容的政策，提升本土印度教徒地位和鼓勵文教發展，使他成為蒙兀兒帝國最偉大的皇帝。