ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY Secretary General Regional Secretaries

PAr. - - Broome General Section: Mr. G. 2. Hennequin

Newsletter Editor Europe: Dr. H. J. van der Wiel Dr. M. B. Mitchiner UK. and Eire: Mr. K. W. Wiggins

Annual Subscnption £4-00; H.F1.18-00; 9-00 dollars North America: Dr. Craig Burns Newsletter number 71 April 1981

The February 1981 newsletter should have been number 70, but was numbered 69 (as Dec. 1980) in error. Avis aux membres Fran¢ais

Les compétences secréteriales de M. Hennequin sont strictement limitées a la Section Générale (Afrique,

Asie, Oceanie). Le Secrétaire Regional pour les membres Frangais est Dr. van der Wiel qui demeure a Gouda. ONS meetings

Cologne. Fourteen members and one guest (Mr. J. Lingen: Netherlands) attended the meeting on 7th.

November 1980 at the Hotel Mondial, Koln. Mr. Dr. von Kleist opened the meeting and introduced Dr. K.

Gabrisch who gave a lecture on the Tibetan 100 Srang note. Among others, he showed his collection of all 53

serial letters of this bank note, with numerous varieties. After this Dr. v. Kleist gave a talk on the 1 Dam and

2 Dam pieces of the Malla period of Nepal. After lunch Dr. W. Hake spoke on earlier Iranian coins and Mr.

Jucknath introduced those present to the coinage of the Indo-Scythians. The next meeting will be held in

Koln during November 1981 (reported by Dr. Karl Gabrisch: please contact him for details)

London. About twenty members met at St. James’ Hall on 7th. March 1981 for an informal gathering. It was

a pleasure to welcome several new members and also Mr. Jan Lingen. An auction of coins realised £21 for the

ONS funds. Thanks are due to Mr. K. Wiggins and to Messrs. A. H. Baldwin and sons for donating coins and to

Mrs. S. Goron for kindly providing refreshments. The next meeting will be held at St. James’ Hall on Saturday

24th. October from 2 till 6 pm. (please contact Mr. K. Wiggins for further details)

There will be an informal meeting of ONS members (families welcome) at Dr. Mitchiner’s house in Sanderstead

(address above) on Saturday 20th. June 1981 from 2pm. Please contact if you wish to attend. — Some recent publications

Briggs, D. C., A Moghul Garden of Verse, Numismatics International Bull., Dec. 1980, 369 - 373

Broome, M. R., Early Post Reform Dirhams of ‘Abd Al-Malik, Seaby’s Coin and Medal Bull., Dec. 1980, 374

Campbell, I. C. G., Introduction to a list of Islamic Currency Denominations, NI. Bull., Nov. 1980, 333 - 340 Daftar, N. A. R., The medallion of Ja’far al-Barmaki, Numismatic Chronicle 1980, 191 - 192

Dauwe, R. B. F., Coins circulating in Egypt during the last quarter of the third century AD., NI. Bull., Jan. 1981,7-12

Harsel, L. W., Lao Government issues new coinage, NI. Bull., Nov. 1980, 352

Hennequin, G., Du sigle ‘DL sur les monnaies Salguqides, Livre du Centenaire de ‘IFAO (1880 - 1980), 387 - 390

MacKenzie, K. M., Ottoman Silver Coins from Cyprus, NI. Bull., Feb. 1981, 39 - 42

MacKenzie, K. M., Greek Church Paras: Paper Tokens from the Bursa - Balikesir districts, Spink’s Numismatic Circular, Feb. 1981, 41 - 42

Mitchiner, M. B., A third coin of Pabes, clan-chief of the Yueh Chi, Spink’s NC., Feb. 1981, 35 - 36

Mitchiner, M. B., A Japanese Trade Token issued by the Harbour Services Department in 1872, Seaby’s Coin and Medal Bull., March 1981, 65 - 66

Morkholm, O., The Parthian coinage of Seleucia on the Tigris, c. 90 - 55 BC., NC., 1980, 33 - 47

Pridmore, F. and Vice, D., Singapore Merchants Tokens 1831 - 1845 struck at the Soho Mint, Birmingham, Spink’s NC., Jan. 1981, 3 - 6

Rhodes, N. G. and Mitchiner, M. B., A series of Forged Coins from North-east India, Spink’s NC., March 1981, 77 - 81 and April 1981, 115-117

Sabine, C. J., The billon and copper coinage of the Crusader country of Tripoli, c. 1102 - 1268, Numismatic Chronicle 1980, 71 - 112

Snaart, P., The Rarity of East India Company Coins (contd.), Seaby’s C & M Bull., Dec. 1980, 377 - 378 and Jan. 1981,4-6

Snartt, P., An unpublished East India Company Token or Pass, Spink’s NC., April 1981, 114

Schroeck, F. E., Tabulated results of the estimation of the number of dies of a coin and the analysis of a

hoard of copper falus of Taimur Shah, Spink’s NC., Feb. 1981, 37 - 40

Semans, S., Money Trees, NI. Bull., Feb. 1981, 45 - 47

Walker, J. H., A bit of bakshish with the brass, Spink’s NC., April 1981, 120 - 124 (Muscat and Oman)

Publications available from the Publications Office, Director of Archeology and Museums, Government of

Andhra Pradesh, Gunfoundry, Hyderabad 500 001, A.P., India

(JAHRS - Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society

APJA - The Andhra Pradesh Journal of Archeology)

- K. Narain, Hoard of Punch-marked silver coins from Ismailpur, Tehsil Thanaghazi, District Alwar,

Rajasthan, JAHRS XXXIV, parts 14, 1974-75, pp. 39-59, pls. 25-28 (73 Mauryan Imperial AR)

B.D. Chattopadhyaya, Coinage in Early Medieval Andhra: a note on the chronology and distribution, JAHRS, Commemoration volume of Sri Mallampalli Somesekhara Sarma, XXXV, 1975-76, pp. 245-50
Sarvasri K. Raghavarchy and 2 R. K. Prasad, Some Eastern Chalukyan Coins from coastal Andhra, JAHRS, ibid., pp. 251-253, 1 pl. (24 lion/lamp type AE, obv. inscr. Vishamasiddhi)
Joseph J. Brennig, The Golconda coinage of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb: a Mughal Tributary coinage,

JAHRS. XXXVII, 1978, pp. 53 - 64

ل‎ Ramakantham, Some Gold coins of Vijayanagara Dynasty, APJA, vol. I no. 1, 1979, pp. 127 - 129 (84 AV coins)
Mir Fazaluddin Alikhan, Silver coins of Mughal ruler Alamgir II, 1167-1173 AH, 1754-1759 AD, APJA.

ibid., pp. 131-132 (Treasure Trove: 12 AR coins of the East India Co., Arkat)

- V. Parabrahma Sastry, Coins of Simuka Satavahana discovered, APJA, ibid., pp. 133 - 139, pl. 1

(Satavahana AE coins: Gobhadra 10, Sama Gopa 28, Satavahana 11, Simuka Satavahana 6, Satakarni 10) — A Fourteenth Century Mule by John S. Deyell

The gold piece illustrated below was published in the Seaby Coin and Medal Bulletin, and subsequently

displayed at the New York International Numismatic Convention in December 1980. It was described as a

quadruple gold tanka issued by the Delhi Sultan Muhammad III bin Tughlug in AH 732, in memory of his father Tughlugq Shah.

With due respect to the present owners, who have been most helpful in confirming the legends and

weight of this specimen, it cannot be said that the coin is properly attributed. The purported date 732 is

nowhere evident on the flan; both direct observation and inspection of the photograph confirm that the whole

lower obverse is occupied by the word Al-sultan. The coin is undated. Further, the weight of 512 grains, or

33.18 grams, is more exactly 3 tankas; the single tanka being approximately 170 grains, or 11 grams”. Hence the coin is a triple, not a quadruple, tanka.

The obverse die bears the standard design of all gold issues of the Khalji ruler ‘Ala ud-din Muhammad II,

Sultan of Delhi from AH 695 to 715 (AD 1296 - 1316)°. It is patently not a die of Tughluq Shah, whose laqab as recorded by the coins was Ghiyas ud-din*. Nor is it the die of his son Muhammad III Tughluq, whose labab according to the histories was Fakhr ud-din>.

The reverse die is a new variety of the normal reverse of the gold and silver issues of the first Tughlugid

ruler, Ghiyas ud-din Tughluq Shah, Sultan of Delhi from AH 720 to 725 (AD 1320 - 1325). The central

legend is the standard design; but the usual marginal legend containing date and mint of issue, has been

substituted by a quotation from the Qu’ran bracketed by decorative rosettes.

Multiple gold tankas were not unknown in this period. Thakkura Pheru, the mintmaster of both ‘Ala

ud-din Muhammad II and Qutb ud-din Mubarak, his successor, recorded gold coins of 1, 5, 10 and higher tanka denominations®. We have no similar record for the following decade, but it seems to me manifestly

unlikely that a 3 tanka piece would have been a regular monetary issue, being neither a binary, nor decimal

multiple. Neither can the coin be called commemorative, as the first Tughluqid ruler had scant occasion to

memorialise a member of the supplanted Khalji dynasty. Rather, we should recognise the piece as a mule

caused by the mixing, inadvertently or otherwise, of the two dies by mint personnel.

Thomas recorded another hybrid gold piece having mixed dies of Tughluq Shah and ‘Ala ud-din

Muhammad II, reputedly in the British Museum ‘. It will be noted that on this new specimen the older, Khalji,

die is damaged; with large marginal areas of the design missing. As such, the older obverse die was selected for

its size rather than its aesthetic properties, simply to facilitate the striking of a test impression of the new

reverse Tughluq die. If so, the new design was rejected in favour of the secular marginal legend type. This

gold piece is a relic of this mint activity; a mule, test striking or fantasy of the period AH 720 - 725.

AV, 31 mm. (?), 512 grains Troy = 33.18 g.

Reverse.

Obverse. sli قلغت‎ tughtug shah ناطلسلا ملفعالا‎ al-sultan 21-3” سدع‎ ناطلسلا ناص‎ ai-sultan nasir علا داينولا الرس‎ fala ud-duniya wa ud-din ce gb) امير‎ amir al-muminin. Lis 52 الو اللظوز‎ abu’l-muzaffar muhammad shah

Margins: quotation from Qur’an ii,256 ىناطلسلا‎ al-sultan

Read by Nicholas Lowick of the British Museum __-ibid., p. 88

Nelson Wright, The Coinage and Metrology of the Sultans of Delhi, p. 394 ibid., pp. 111 ff

Zia ud-din Barni, Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, in Elliot and Dowson, Vol. [II, pp. 224-5: ““Muhammad Fakhr ud-din Juna, afterwards Sultan Muhammad Tughluq”’.

Thakkura Pheru, Dravya Pariksha (tr. by V. S. Agrawala), Indian Numismatic Chronicle, vol. VII, p. 112

Edward Thomas, The Chronicles of the Pathan Kings of Delhi, p. 189 Isma’il Shah - A precursor of the Bahmanid Sultans of the Deccan by S. L. Goron History

The middle of the 14th. century saw the more remote territories of the Delhi Sultanate seething with

discontent and rebellion. Mohammed Tughlug had been ruling for some twenty years, a reign characterised by an ever-increasing number of capricious and extortionate demands on his subjects at all levels.

In Daulatabad, capital of the Deccan, the mild and pious governor of that province, Qutlugh Khan,

had been replaced by the inexperienced Maulana Nizam-ud-din, with reduced powers. Furthermore, the

Deccan had been divided into four main revenue divisions. At the head of one was placed ‘Aziz Khammar,

a low-born, thoroughly unscrupulous official, notorious for his cruelty. At this time, Mohammed was wont to accuse all his officials in the Deccan, especially the ‘centurions’!, as traitors and rebels. He found a willing ally

in ‘Aziz, who, upon his arrival at his seat of government, Dhar, had 89 centurions publicly executed. This act

sent a shudder down the spines of the nobles and officials at Daulatabad and elsewhere. Mohammed, however,

was delighted and presented ‘Aziz with a robe of honour. In so doing he had effectively declared war against a

whole class of officials. The centurions in parts of Gujerat were the first to rebel. Mohammed marched thither

and slew many of their number. Those that escaped fled towards Daulatabad. Whereupon the king turned his

attention to that city. Two notorious oppressors were appointed to enquire into the conduct and opinions of

the inhabitants. In addition, two officers were despatched from Broach with orders to Maulana to send the

centurions of his province to Broach under escort. The centurions, aware of their likely fate, commenced

their journey. But soon, deciding to take matters into their own hands, they killed the two Broach officers

and returned to Daulatabad. There they imprisoned the governor, seized the fort and its treasure, and

proclaimed one of their number, Isma’il Mukh, king of the Deccan under the title Nasir-ud-din Isma’il Shah.

Mohammed immediately marched on Daulatabad and defeated the rebels in battle. Isma’il took refuge in the

fort while others, including Hasan Gangu, also known as Zafar Khan, retired to Gulbarga. Mohammed

permitted his troops to sack the city of Daulatabad while he, himself, opened the seige of the fort.

*Imad-ul-mulk Sartiz was sent to Gulbarga to crush the rebellion there. Three months later another rebellion

broke out in Gujerat and Mohammed was obliged to leave Daulatabad. In his absence Zafar Khan had marched

to Bidar and, with reinforcements, had slain “Imad-ul-mulk and dispersed his army. He then marched to

Daulatabad, whereupon Mohammed’s troops raised the seige and fled to Dhar. Isma’il Shah went out to meet

Zafar Khan and after some days announced that he intended to abdicate in favour of one whom his officers

might choose. The choice fell on Zafar Khan and on August 3rd. 1347 he was acclaimed under the title Abu-l Muzaffar ‘Ala-ud-din Bahman2 Shah, founder of the Bahmanid dynasty.

Nasir-ud-din Isma’il had reigned for approximately a year during AD 1346 - 1347 (AH 747 - 748). Coinage

Coins of Nasir-ud-din Isma’il are rare. A few have so far been published. E. E. Speight, in an article in Islamic

Culture (April 1935), published two coins of this ruler with the following legend: -

ابو تفلاح | اسمعيل شاة ل اديت

In 1966 M. Amjad Ali? published a similar copper coin weighing 50 grains (3.25 grams) bearing what appeared

to be the same legend. The legend was incomplete, but the coin was illustrated, though not too clearly. A further coin in the author’s collection is described below: -

Obverse Reverse Illustration…. ناطلسلا ال‎ § Lb

ابو

الفح‎ in deoble circle The coin is billon and weighs 3.65 grams. The legend is engraved fairly crudely. The top line of the obverse is

incomplete. There is clearly an epithet following the word “‘Al Sultan’’, but it cannot be ascertained from the

present coin. On the reverse there are traces of a possible marginal legend outside the double circle. The

author would be pleased to hear of any other coins of this ruler in members’ collections.

These were officials with both military functions and responsibility for the collection of taxes in about

100 villages each. They were entitled to a commission of 5% on their collections.

Zafar Khan claimed descent from the half-mythical hero Bahman, son of Isfandiyar.

Numismatic Society of India vol. XXVIII