Collectors Today’s Focus: The Mughal Empire Coins

The Mughal period in India commenced in 1526 AD when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, the Sultan of Delhi and ended in 1857 AD when the British deposed and exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor after the great uprising. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids and at the height of their power in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, they controlled most of the Indian Subcontinent—extending from Bengal in the east to Balochistan in the west, Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south. Its population at that time has been estimated as between 110 and 150 million, over a territory of more than 3.2 million square kilometres (1.2 million square miles).

The Mughal Coins

The Mughals brought about uniformity and consolidation of the system of coinage throughout the empire which was the most significant contribution to the monetary history of the subcontinent. The system lasted long even after the cessation of the Mughal rule in the region.

The system of tri-metalism (use of gold, silver and copper in coins) which characterizes the Mughal coinage was largely the creation of Sher Shah Suri (1540 to 1545 AD), an Afghan, who ruled for a brief time. Sher Shah issued a coin of silver which was termed the Rupiya. This had a weight of 178 grains and was the precursor of the modern rupee. It remained largely unchanged till the early twentieth century. Gold coins called the Mohur (weighing 169 grains) were issued along with the silver Rupiya and the copper coins, called the Dam. Numismatics of the Mughal era reflects originality and innovative skills in the designs and minting techniques of the coins. 

The coin designs gained maturity during the reign of Akbar (1542 to 1605). Innovations like ornamentation of the background of the die with floral scrollwork were introduced. Jehangir (1605 to1627) took a personal interest in his coinage. The surviving gigantic coins are amongst the largest issued in the world. 

The Mughal rule in India brought Muslim design to the coins of India. Since Islam forbade the use of people and animals in artwork, most of the coins of the Mughal Dynasty were decorated with beautiful script such as the example below. The coins with zodiacal signs, portraits, literary verses and the excellent calligraphy took Mughal coinage to new heights.

At Aurangzeb period (1658 to 1707) the format was standardized to incorporate the name of the ruler, the mint and the date of issue.

Collectors Focus Today: Iran - Belarus Joint Stamp Issue 2011, Mir Castle, Kharimkhan Citadel

On September 28, 2001 The Belarus Post and Iranian Post jointly issued a postage stamp.This joint stamp miniature issue sheet features the famous Mir castle of Belarus and Karimkhani Citadel of Shiraz.

The Mirsky Castle Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus located in the town of Mir in the Karelichy District of the Hrodna voblast. 

The Arg of Karim Khan is a citadel located in the north-east of Shiraz, southern Iran. It was built as part of a complex during the Zand dynasty and is named after Karim Khan, and served as his living quarters.

Today's Collectors Focus: Indian-Iranian 2004 Joint Issue Kabir and Hafiz Poets Stamps  

A joint issue is the release of stamps or postal stationery by two or more countries to commemorate the same topic, event or person of relevance to both countries. Joint issues typically have the same first day of issue and their design is often similar or identical, except for the identification of country and value.

This joint issue release features two of the most influenced poets in India and  Iran.

 Kabir (1440–1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means 'The Great' - the 37th name of God in Islam. Today, there are several allusions to Kabir's poetry in mainstream Indian film music.

 Hafiz (1326-1390) was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry (Divan) that are to be found in the homes of many Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-Fourteenth Century Persian writing more than any other author.