Extremely Rare Fatehpur Mint Zodiac Mohur
Constellation of Varak/Mesha
Aries the Ram

CNG 102, Lot: 1310. Estimate $20000. Sold for $42500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

INDIA, Mughal Empire. Nur al-Din Muhammad Jahangir. AH 1014-1037 / AD 1605-1627. AV Mohur (22mm, 11.86 g, 10h). Zodiac Type, Class A. Fatehpur mint. Dually dated AH 1028 and RY 14 (19 December AD 1618 – 14/23 October AD 1619), but struck 20 March-20/1 April AD 1619). Constellation of Varak/Mesha (Aries the Ram): ram, head right, recumbent left; radiate sun behind; sanat 14 jalus (regnal year 14) in Persian below / sikka-e zar gist ba-Fatahpur faruzada nur-i nam Jahangir Shah Akbar Shah (Gold coin became lustrous at Fatehpur by the light of the name of Jahangir Shah [son of] Akbar Shah) in Persian verse; AH date in lower left. Cf. Liddle Type G-74/G-76 (for obv./rev.) = S. Bhandare, “Important Indian coins in the Kunsthistorisches; Museum, Vienna,” in ONS Journal 205 (Autumn 2010), Fig. 7/11 (for obv./rev. – same dies as illustrations); BM –; Wright –; Hull –; Nagpur –; Lucknow –; KM 180.2 (date unlisted) and cf. 150. 3 (rupee); cf. Friedberg 762 (for type with no distinction to mint). Good VF, field marks, two shroff marks on obverse, three on reverse, with ornate suspension loop attached. Extremely rare.

Owing to an epidemic of plague in Agra, Jahangir encamped at Fatehpur during AH 1028 (see S.H. Hodivala, “The Chronology of the Zodiacal Coins of Jahangir”, NC 1929, p. 306). As recounted in Jahangir’s autobiography, the Tuzuk-e Jahangiri, the emperor entered Fatehpur on the 28th Di, RY 13 (18 January AD 1619) and remained there until 31 Farwardin, RY 14 (20/1 April 1619). According to the Solar Hijri calendar, the period during which Jahangir resided in Fatehpur is covered by four zodiacal signs. The last of these, Varak/Mesha (Aries the Ram) refers to the month of Farwardin, enabling us to date this coin to that month. Given that the obverse corresponds with the month of Jahangir’s departure from Fatehpur and the extreme rarity of this mohur type from that mint, it is quite possible that these coins were struck in conjunction with the emperor’s departure from Fatehpur and were presented to those members of the local elite who had accommodated Jahangir during his stay.