Item number: A1300

Year: AD 1578 (AH 986)

Material: Silver

Size: 19.5 x 19.4 x 3.1 mm

Weight: 11.35 g

Provenance: Teutoburger Münzauktion GmbH 2023

This is a square-shaped silver rupee coin with distinctive Indian characteristics, minted during the reign of Emperor Akbar of the Mughal Empire. The obverse of the coin is divided into three sections by lines, interspersed with floral patterns and four dotted marks indicating the mint’s stamp. Inscribed on the obverse in Persian, a language widely used on Akbar’s coins and familiar to the Muslim populace, is the Kalima, the Islamic declaration of faith: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

The reverse side of the coin is inscribed in the Nastaʿlīq style of Islamic calligraphy, popular in the South Asian subcontinent. It displays the emperor’s name and title, “اکبر بادشاہ غازی” (Akbar Badshah Ghazi, meaning “Akbar, the Warrior King”). Additionally, it includes the Hijri year of minting, “۹۸۶” (986), which corresponds to AD 1578 in the Gregorian calendar.

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: A1300

年代: 公元 1578 (回曆 986) 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 19.5 x 19.4 x 3.1 mm

重量: 11.35 g

來源: 條頓堡錢幣拍賣 2023

這是一枚極富印度特色的方形盧比銀幣，其鑄造時間為蒙兀兒帝國阿克巴大帝統治時期。方形盧比的正面以線條劃分為三個區塊，並且穿插著花草紋飾和鑄幣廠戳記的四枚珠點。打印於正面的波斯文，為阿克巴時期的錢幣最為普遍和穆斯林最為熟悉的清真言內容，即「萬物非主，唯有真主，穆罕默德是真主的使者」。

錢幣背面以流行於南亞次大陸的「波斯體」伊斯蘭書法，寫上皇帝的名字和頭銜「اکبر بادشاہ غازی」(阿克巴 皇帝 加齊)。並且還有打印鑄造的回曆年份「۹۸۶」(986)，換算為公元1578年。

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。