Sale: Triton VII, Lot: 1172. Estimate $4000.  Closing Date: Monday, 12 January 2004.  Sold For $4400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MUGHAL KINGS of INDIA. Jahangir. 1605-1628. AV Zodiac Mohur (10.89 gm). Agra mint. Dated year AH 1030, regnal year 16 (1620/1 AD). Taurus (the Bull) right within radiate sun / Four line Persian legend with date and regnal year. A contemporary strike. Friedberg 763; KM 180.5. VF. Rare original strike. ($4000)

The emperor Jahangir struck a remarkable series of figural type rupees and mohurs, unprecedented for a Muslim prince. Besides extremely rare portrait pieces, he instituted a series of zodiacal types, each one to be struck in the corresponding month. The obverse dies were reused from year to year, new dated reverses being produced for each subsequent issue. In addition, special specimen strikes were apparently produced for important visitors to the Mughal court; each person would receive a coin with his zodiacal symbol. These Zodiac presentation coins continued to be struck for the Mughal emperors until the final dissolution of the empire in the 19th century. Many of the types, both original and restrikes, are extremely rare, with no known complete set of the mohurs in private hands.