ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

Secretary General Regional Secretaries Mr. - - Broome General Section: Mr. G. P. Hennequin

Newsletter Editor Europe: Dr. H. J. van der Wiel Dr. M. B. Mitchiner

UK. and Eire: Mr. K. W. Wiggins Annual Subscription £5-00; 11.11. 25-00; FF. 65-00; 9-00 dollars America: Mr. W. B. Warden jr. Newsletters numbers 94 - 95 February - April 1985

The Oriental Numismatic Society is currently acquiring a new image brought about by several changes in the spectrum of established officers: -

1: From Ist January 1985 Joe Cribb of the Dept. of Coins and Medals at the British Museum in London

is responsible for maintaining the master list of current members of the Society.

2: William B. Warden jr. (PO Box…) has taken over from Craig Burns

on Ist. January the role of Regional Secretary for the American Region. We are grateful to Craig Burns

for his sterling work in building up the region to its present position; and must now acknowledge his

wish to devote more time to his own numismatic studies and hand over this office. In Bill Warden we

have an interested and energetic successor who has already shown his mettle by founding the successful NE Chapter of the American Region.

3: Vic Brown, who has accomplished the difficult task of keeping the Society solvent since the time of

its foundation many years ago, is now relinquishing his post as Treasurer. After completing the Society’s

accounts to the Ist. April 1985 Vic will be retiring from office and the position of Treasurer will pass to David Priestley.

4: Michael Mitchiner, who has been editing ard producing the Society’s Newsletters for the past nine years is also handing over his reigns of office.

So, in many respects, this present combined February - April Newsletter is the last of the old era for the

ONS. With the influx of able new blood a bright future is wished for the Society during the years to come. Future ONS meetings

London: on Saturday 4th May at the usual venue, 28 Little Russell Street, near the British Museum;

commencing at 2-30 pm. Also on Saturday 5th. October at the same venue.

Cologne: on Saturday 16th. November at the Hotel Modia, commencing at 10-00 am.

By Steve Cribb: on Saturday Ist. June (details to be arranged: please contact Steve Cribb).

Other ONS news Occasional paper no. 10 by Ranko Mandic on “Ottoman numismatics: a bibliography of Yugoslav sources” is now being circulated to members…. 15 now collecting Parthian and Mughal coins in additon to his Sasanian and Arab-sasanian interests…. is

compiling World (Oriental etc.) Mintmarks information for a future handbook and would welcome

assistance from other ONS members…. would like to correspond with members about the Gambling Tokens

of S.E. Asia. Mr…. is now only collecting coins of Indian Native States…. has lists of duplicate coins from

Thailand which are available for sale or exchange.

We regret to announce the death in December of Dr… — — Bhutan by G. B. Blaker

The silver coins of Bhutan ascribed to the period 1900 to 1928 (N. Rhodes, Period IV group B) depict eight

recognisably Buddhist or Hindu symbols arranged in a framework of squares; with no inscription, date,

portrait, or other distinguishing mark. Each side of these coins is divided into four compartments and each compartment contains one of the symbols.

For purposes of recognition the symbols might be called: -

Conch, 2. Banner, 3. Trident, 4. Squares, 5. Thunderbolt, 6. Cloud, 7. Circles, 8. Tibetan letter “Sa’’.

The conch, banner, trident and squares are always on the side of the coin that, for the purposes of this note,

is called the obverse; while the thunderbolt, cloud, circles and Sa are always on the reverse. There appear to

be certain conventions governing the order in which the symbols’ are arranged. Obverse:

The conch is always in one of the two upper compartments, but can be right or left. The trident is always

in one of the two lower compartments, but can be right or left. The conch and the trident (Hindu symbols)

always go together, the conch being above the trident. If the conch is top right, the trident will be lower right. If the trident is lower left, the conch must be upper left. Thus the banner and squares (Buddhist symbols)

must always go together, but can be up or down, right or left.

The figures show (A) obverse with symbols in the order squares - conch - banner (upside down) -

trident; and reverse thunderbolt - circles - cloud - Sa. In figure (B) the obverse is conch - banner - trident

squares; and the reverse circles - thunderbolt - Sa - cloud.

ole PATIO J i. voy 7 3

Reverse (A) لك‎ a <

All the symbols on the reverse have mainly Buddhist associations. The thunderbolt is always in an upper compartment, but can be right or left. The Tibetan letter Sa is always in a lower compartment, but can be

right or left, and does not necessarily have to pair with the thunderbolt. The cloud and the circles thus do not

necessarily have to go together, and each can be either up or down and right or left.

Re

ETE

Ree Possible range of variations:

Coins may have the same obverse and yet have a different reverse, and vice versa. Each of the four obverse

possibilities can combine with any of the eight reverses, making 32 possible basic types. But, in practice,

the system is further complicated by the fact that several of the symbols, namely the banner, squares,

thunderbolt, cloud and circles (but not the conch, trident or Sa) can be set vertically, horizontally, or even

diagonally or upside down; thus adding considerably to the theoretical possibilities for variation. Further

scope for variety is afforded by different numbers of dots in the fields of certain of the symbols. But what has happened in practice?

In a small group of thirteen of these coins that have been examined there are ten different arrangements

of the basic order of the symbols, disregarding the further complication of some of the symbols being on their

sides or upside down. This provokes curiosity as to how many variations of the basic order were actually

struck in the Bhutanese mints. Of the ten different arrangements in this group, most have the obverse

(reading from left to right) in the order conch - banner - trident - squares (as in fig. B above) and banner -

conch - squares - trident. There is a smaller number having the obverse in the order squares - conch -

banner - trident (as in fig. A above), but none of these have reverses showing the theoretically possible

order circles - thunderbolt - Sa - cloud or cloud - thunderbolt - circles - Sa. Similarly there are no

obverses in the order conch - squares - trident - banner, of which there could be eight. Do they exist? A study of a larger number of these coins might provide other information. Does anyone have a few? Some Recent Publications

R. Broome, Handbook of Islamic Numismatics, available from B. A. Seaby Ltd., London: £27-50

P-R Bauquis, Une Etrange Histoire de Talismans, Archipel 28, 1984, 65 - 76 (also from author: ONS 878)

Olcer, Rare Ottoman coins in European Museums (in Turkish: G. Kurkman, PK 121 Tesvikiye, Istanbul)
Jabrin al Jabir, Islamic Numismatics, Office of Tourism & Antiquities, Qatar — Three Rare Moghal Coins by Stan Goron

The following three coins are published by kind permission of R. C. Senior Ltd.

Aurangzeb - a quarter rupee of ‘Alamgirpur

‘Alamgirpur is identified as the town of Bhilsa, a fortified town situated some 26 miles north-east of Bhopal. Bhilsa was incorporated into the Moghal domains during the reign of Akbar, but no coins are known from

this mint prior to the reign of Shah Jehan I. The earliest published coin is one of year 8 of Shah Jehan, during

whose reign the mint continued to be called Bhilsa. The renaming of the town as ‘Alamgirpur must have

taken place early in the reign of Aurangzeb (‘Alamgir I), for rupees are known with that mint name from AH 1071, year 3 of his reign; and they continue through successive emperors into the reign of Mohammed

Shah. Curiously enough there are a few rare rupees of the reign of Aurangzeb bearing the mint name Bhilsa. Why this should be is not known.

The coin published here is a quarter rupee. It may be a nisar, or ‘scatter’ coin; such coins normally

bear the word ‘nisar’ in their inscription. This coin may do so, but the inscription is not complete on the

coin. Moreover, Aurangzeb’s nisars usually refer to him as Alamgir rather than as Aurangzeb ‘Alamgir - as on

the present coin. I have not come across mention of any other fractional rupees of this mint (except for those struck much later by the Sindhias).

Obverse

ps ple Reverse - -; كير abirud?‏IHP ‘ عقال كسب ‏rigmalA’

اور * و Aurangzeb - - ‘Alamgirpur “oo

The obverse legend is not complete. The words ‘Alamgir and Aurangzeb are evident. The horizontal lines may

be part of ‘Shah’ and ‘Nisar’ respectively. On the other hand, one of them may represent the ‘-eb’ of

‘Aurangzeb’. The date is either AH 1102 or 1106. The coin weighs 2.87 grams. 2. Jahandar - arupee of Firuzgarh

Firuzgarh is identified with the fortress of Yadgir, situated some fifty miles south of Gulbarga in the former

state of Hyderabad. This fort, previously called Ibrahimgarh and Ahangarh, was captured by the Moghals in AH 1098 during the reign of Aurangzeb. For further details readers are referred to Professor Hodivala’s

article in Numismatic Supplement XXVIII of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Hitherto only one or two mohurs and rupees of Shah Alam I and Farrukhsiyar have been published for

this mint. The present coin therefore represents a new mint for Jahandar. It bears the usual Abu’! Fath couplet

and the date AH 1125, rather than the more common AH 1124. It must therefore have been struck towards the very end of his short reign.

Obverse

Reverse; The victorious Jahandar Shah, Struck at Firuzgarh in شاع‎ |sile Defender of the faith, struck the first year of accession و‎ to js al انو‎ coin in the horizons like the associated with prosperity اخاف زد جوت‎ = sun and moon. The coin weighs 11.49 grams. ae Farrukhsiyar - a rupee of Farrukhnagar

In part two of his book “The copper coins of India’ W H Valentine illustrated and described two coins of Farrukhnagar mint (nos. 640 and 641). One coin is struck in the name of Farrukhsiyar and the other in the

name of Shah Alam II and dated AH 1214. Valentine attributed both these coins to the town of Farrukhnagar situated south-west of Delhi, in the Gurgaon district. This town was founded in 1713, during the reign of Farrukhsiyar, by a Baluch chief Dalel Khan (also known as Faujdar Khan). This Baluchi family continued to hold the town until 1857, except for twelve years after 1757 when the place was in the possession of the Jats of Bhartpur. Valentine’s two coins are very different. The Shah Alam II coin is clearly dated and may well have been struck in the Farrukhnagar described above. The Farrukhsiyar coin, however, looks very much like an imitation of a rupee, or a coin struck from a rupee die. Unfortunately, the weight of the coin is not given. It is said by Valentine to be dated year 6, but no figure is apparent in the illustration. On the coin the mint name Farrukhnagar is placed in the middle line of the reverse inscription. To the left of this name is

an additional part inscription, which Valentine completely ignored.

Up till now, no other such coin has been published, nor to my knowledge has any rupee of this mint. The coin published below is therefore important in providing a new silver mint-name for the Moghal series and a possible re-attribution of the actual place of minting. From the present illustration it is clear that to the left of the mint name فرخ نكر‎ are the letters “gl. This is presumably an alternative (or earlier) name of the mint town. The Moghals often renamed towns that they captured and used these new names on their coins. Sometimes both old and new name appear together, for instance Fathabad Dharur,

‘Azamnagar Gokak. The question therefore is what is this town, the name of which begins.» 9 |. 1 suggest the town is in fact Ausa. Ausa is situated in the Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, about fifty miles northeast of Shorapur. There is a large fort, some 13 acres (about 5 hectares) in area, to the south of the town. This fort featured prominently in the conflicts between the post-Bahmanid Deccan Sultanates and was captured by the Moghals in 1636; during the reign of Shah Jehan I. No coins are as yet known from Ausa for the reigns of Shah Jehan or Aurangzeb; they are however known from the reigns of Shah Alam I, Jahandar and Mohammed Shah. There is therefore a gap during the reign of Farrukhsiyar. If my attribution is correct, and only additional specimens or some relevant mention in contemporary annals will be able to confirm that, then this gap will be at least partly filled.

The present coin bears the usual Farrukhsiyar couplet. No date is visible on either side.

Obverse Reverse: | سير‎ Ty? تجرد ار‎ Farrukhsiyar, emperor on land Struck at Farrukhnagar Au(sa?) 4 الب‎ and sea struck coin in silver in the……… year of accession? bg حق بر سدم و‎ and gold by grace of the Truth associated with prosperity ds 3! “7 The coin weighs 11.23 grams.

The very rare Arab-sasanian coinage of Yazid b. Al-Muhallab by William B. Warden jr. A few years ago the writer was able to acquire a drahm of the Umayyad governor Yazid b. al-Muhallab, bringing the total known coinage of this ruler to eight silver drahms. Seven were struck in AH 78, while he was governor of Kirman and one while he was governor of Khorasan in AH 84. All of Yazid’s coinage is very rare. The drahm in the writer’s collection is as follows: -

Yazid b. al-Muhallab, AR drahm, 31 mm., 2.86 gm.

Oby. Usual type bust of Khusru II, facing right To left of bust, the usual AFZUT inscription: To the right in Pahlevi: YZIT -I - Ps MUHALPAN be ar u_y pb In the second quarter margin: (= ‘The strength of Yazid’ in Kufic) هون زر رن.اللنت‎ In the third quarter (= SR? in Pahlevi) oH

Usual fire altar and attendants:رد tA tfel =( HA:87 DA:(89/796	TATFHTSH
bo‏ew
tA,thgir tnim erutangis ni:ivelhaP	JYPH-NAMRK

Yazid b. al-Muhallab was first mentioned in the ‘Kamil’ of al-Mubarrad where we learn that the famous general and governor Al-Muhallab ibn Abi-Sufra wrote, in AH 78, to his superior in Iraq, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. This was to inform him of Al-Muhallab’s success in putting to an end the Kharijite rebellion of Quatari ibn

al-Fuja’s. Al-Hajjaj replied by instructing Al-Muhallab to return to Basra for a meeting and to leave one of his sons in command of Kirman province. Al-Muhallab thereby appointed his son Yazid, and left for Basra!.

During Yazid’s brief period of governorship while his father was away, he struck silver drahms in his own name. Out of the seven known, four have the mint signature KRMAN -HPYJ2 (= Khabis, Kirman); one

KRMAN-AN? (uncertain mint in Kirman); one KRMAN-NAR* (= Narmasin, Kirman); one KRM-KRMAN>

(= Sirjan, Kirman). All are dated AH 78. Yazid also succeeded his father as governor of Khorasan in AH 82

through 85. During this period he struck silver drahms with trilingual legends (Pahlevi, Arabic and

Hephthalite) of the year 84 with the mint signature HURA (Juztan?) of which there is only one known specimen».

Yazid, in his later life, continued to be active in politics and military campaigns; but he was often in

disagreement and in trouble with his superior and brother-in-law, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Yazid was in and out of prison several times. However, in AH 95, he was appointed for a second time as governor of Khorasan.

He soon fell out of favour again and was replaced as governor. In AH 99, he was again placed in prison, but

soon escaped. He then led a rebellion against Al-Hajjaj and the Caliph, but was defeated and died at the hands of Moslamah ibn ‘Abd al-Malik in AH 102 (August AD 720). Footnotes

Rescher, ‘Die Kharidschitenkapital aus dem Kamil’, Stuttgard, 1922, pp. 232 - 33. ‘The Kamil of

el-Mubarrad’, edition of W. Wright, Leipzig, 1864 - 92, p. 696.

One in the ANS collection published by Dr. George C. Miles, ““Some new Light on the history of Kirman in the first century of the Hijirah’’, in “The World of Islam, Studies in Honor of Philip K. Hitti’, London

and New York 1959, pp. 85 - 98 and pl I coin 5; but misread as KRMAN-AFIJ. One published in Al-Maskukat VII, 1977, pages 103 - 06 by Sayyidah Widad al-Quazzaz. One in W. B. Warden jr.’

collection acquired from Sotheby’s of London, October 14, 1981 ‘Islamic Coins, Mainly in Gold’ auction lot 8, but misattributed by them as a drachm of Al Mughira ibn al Muhallab year AH 71 and mint

signature KRMAN-SRZ. All three of the preceeding coins are identical. One in Mohnsen Foroughi

collection published by M. I. Mochiri ‘Etudes De Numismatique Iranienne sous les Sasanides et ArabeSasanides’ tome II, Tehran 1977 pp. 433 - 34 (Fig. 1555), but with رردابلا بن‎ at 8:30 o’clock

in the third quarter marginand e¢s at 6:30 0’clock to the left of crescent and star. Mint signature

has been misread KRMANSRZ,; otherwise, identical with the other theee coins.

In Cabinet de Medailles, Bibliotheque Nationale Collection and published by Heinz Gaube in ‘Arabo-

sasanidische Numismatic’ Braunschweig 1973, tafel 9, coin no. 105.

Unpublished in the Cabinet de Medailles, collection and a plaster cast sent to me for study in 1982 through the courtesy of Dr. Raoul Curiel.

12 National Museum of Damascus collection and pubished by Muhammad Abu-l-Faraj al-‘Ush, “The Silver

Hoard of Damascus’, Damascus, Syria 1972, pages 200 - 01, coin no. 108A, but misread as mint signature BRM-KRMN.

In the Cabinet de Medailles collection, published by John Walker, ‘Some new Arab-Sasanian coins’,

Numismatic Chronicle 1952, pages 106 - 110, plt. IX (see pages 108 - 09, coin no. 3)

Bibliography of sources not listed in the footnotes

al–Ush, Mohammad Abu-I-Faraj, ‘Silver Hoard of Umm Hajarah’, Damascus 1972

Gyselen, Rika and Kalus, Ludvick, ‘Deux Tresors Monetaires des premiers temps de l’Islam’, Bibliotheque

Nationale, Paris 1983 L’Islam, ‘Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris 1983

Guillou, Andre, ‘Les Monnayages Pehlevi-Arabes’, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris 1953

Miles, George, ‘Rare Islamic Coins’, ANS Numismatic Notes and Monographs no. 118, New York 1950

— ‘Excavations from the Persepolis region, ANS Numismatic Notes and Monographs no 143, NY, 1959

Gaetani, L. ‘Chronographia Islamic’, Paris 1912

An unpublished sixteenth rupee of Masulipatam mint by F. Timmermann

In 1684 the English received permission from the Qutb Shah of Golconda to strike rupees at the sea port

of Masulipatam. After the annexation of Golconda by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir these mint

rights were renewed in 1688. Since then, the English minted rupees in the names of the following Mughal

emperors: Aurangzeb Alamgir, Farrukhsiyar, Shah Jahan 11 and Muhammad Shah (up to the French

occupation in 1749). But no rupee fractions of this first British period (1684 - 1749) are recorded.

The sixteenth rupee described here is struck in the name of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (1719 - 1748: AH 1131 - 1161) and is dated AH 1135, regnal year 5. It was struck from specially prepared

dies with smaller lettering than on the full rupee dies. Nevertheless, the coin does not show the full inscription.

I believe that it is only a different arrangement of the normal Muhammad Shah legend. Though this coin _ a shows only the last part “‘patan”’ of the full mint name ‘‘Machhlipatan”’, the correct attribution to Masulipatam

mint is clear from the photo of a full rupee which has the same “ field decoration” in the Persian letter “nun” (N) of “patan”. This is a distinguishing feature of all Masulipatam rupees of the first British period.

Obverse:	Reverse:
parts of -	parts of -
Muhammad Shah 1135	Zarb
Badshah ghazi	Machhlipatan
Sikka mubarak	sanat 5	parts of - parts of - Muhammad Shah 1135 Zarb Badshah ghazi Machhlipatan Sikka mubarak sanat 5

Weight 0.70 grams; Size 8.5 mm.; Photo x4 natural size The coinage of Las Bela by Ken Wiggins

The rather insignificant copper coins of Las Bela have never received very much attention in numismatic

works. They were first published by Valentine! in 1914 and little, if anything, has been said about them since.

The purpose of this note is to draw attention to what information exists on the Las Bela coins and to,

perhaps, correct some errors made by Valentine and repeated in later catalogues.

Las Bela was formerly a native state which was under the suzerainty of the Khan of Kalat, who at one

time was a tributary of the Durranis, the Sadozais and the Barakzais. In 1839 a loose acknowledgement of

the British supremacy was made but not rationalised until 1876. Both Las Bela and Kalat are now in Pakistan.

Las Bela, whose capital is Bela, lies about 150 miles northwest of Karachi. In area it was about 7,132 square

miles and the population in the 1930’s was about 63,000. The state can be said to have been founded about

1742-43 when Jam Ali, Sardar of the Jamot tribe, established himself as chief of Las Bela. The family claimed

descent from Abdul Manof of the Kureshi tribe of Arabs. Jam Ali Khan I ruled until 1765 and was succeeded

by Jam Ghulam Shah (1766 - 76) and then Jam Mir Khan I (1776 - 1818). Pottinger passed through Las Bela

in 1810 and found the country in a prosperous state with an enlightened and progressive ruler. Jam Mir

Khan I was succeeded by Jam Ali Khan II (1818 - 30). The next chief was a young man, Jam Mir Khan II,

who married the Khan of Kalat’s sister, one Bibi Alladdini. This union may have motivated Jam Mir Khan into

thinking that he was entitled to the Khanate of Kalat, which had been held since 1857 by Khudadad Khan.

The ambitious Jam of Las Bela therefore determined to seize Kalat and between 1865 and 1869 made four

attempts to invade Kalat territory. None were successful and after being pardoned three times he was

ultimately heavily defeated and forced to flee with his family to Karachi. From there he persisted in intriguing

against the Khan of Kalat. The British authorities then intervened and removed him at first to Hyderabad Sind and then in 1871 to Poona.

About the time that Jam Mir Khan was removed from Sind, his son, later Jam Ali Khan III, managed to

make his way back to Las Bela where he came to terms with the Khan of Kalat and undertook to conduct

the affairs of the state. In 1877 Jam Mir Khan was released from his confinement in Poona and was allowed

to return to Las Bela subject to certain conditions. He was inclined at first to let his son continue as chief and

administer the state but both were soon at loggerheads and there were constant disputes between them. Jam Ali Khan was finally sent away to Quetta and his father, Jam Mir Khan II, assumed the chieftainship and ruled

until his death in 1888. He was succeeded by another son, Hajji Jam Ali Khan, who ruled until 1896.

The British Indian currency was not introduced into Baluchistan on any appreciable scale until about

Prior to this various Persian and Afghan silver coins circulated in trade. The Persian coins were the

kashani and karimkhani, worth about 12 annas each against the Imperial currency. The copper currency

was that in use in Sind and consisted of dukar and adhelo and of cowrie shells. A copper coin known as the

Mansuri also circulated. The rate of exchange that operated was: -

10 cowries	=	1 adhri	(1/16 pice)
2 adhri	=	ldamri	(1/8 pice)
2 damri	=	lkasiro	(1/4 pice)	2 adhri \(=\) ldamri (1/8 pice) 2 damri \(=\) lkasiro (1/4 pice) 2 kasiro ladhelo (1/2 pice) 2 adhelo \(=\) 1 dukar (Pice)

The value of the dukar varied from 80 to 160 cowries depending on the quality of the shells. The various

rupees exchanged for copper at varying rates. According to the Baluchistan District Gazetteer of 1907 the

only local coins which circulated in Las Bela consisted of the dukar and adhelo, which were struck at Bela

about 1855 - 56 during the reign of Jam Mir Khan II. It is these local coins that will be examined in detail here.

For easy reference I have reproduced Valentine’s drawings, numbered V1, V2, V3 and V4. The coins

from my own collection are numbered 1, 2, 3 etc. The only dukar or pice that I have come across is no. 1. It is appreciably larger than the adhelo and weighs 7.8 grams. It is dated AH 1276 (AD 1859-60). The die cutting is fairly good. The obverse legend 15 6 ls ضرب‎ = Zarb Jam = Struck by the Jam. The reverse is JY فلو‎ pee = Bela falus = copper coin of Bela. There is no indication of the denomination given on this

coin and the legends are the same on the smaller coins of this type.

The adhelo or half pice weigh between 5 and 6 grams and are generally irregular in shape, some being

almost square. The dates on these coins are problematical, as the figures are distributed haphazardly across

the face of the coin in no particular order and intermingled with a number of V shaped ornaments. V1 is an

example. Valentine suggests that it is dated AH 1267, but it could well be AH 1276. The date on V2 is a

puzzle but it may have been intended for AH 1271. V3 is similar to No. 2 and the only two digits which can

No. 3. The latest coin of this type that I have found is No. 4 which is possibly meant to be dated AH 1278.

No. 5 bears an incomplete date unless it was intended for AH 1270. The likely period for the production of

these coins is 1854 to 1861, but other dates may exist. Specimens of this type of coin are also found without any date at all.

The only other type of coin known from Las Bela is a copper adhelo struck in the name of Mahmud

Khan (V4). These were presumably struck after the expulsion of Jam Mir Khan II in 1869. The coin

illustrated by Valentine (V4) and No. 6 are reasonably well struck but bear no date. The obverse reads -

WE طرب #4مود‎

= zarb Mahmud Khan = struck by Mahmud Khan, and the reverse - اس‎ yd بيلر‎ == Bela falus = copper coin of Bela. This was possibly the initial issue of the Khan of

Kalat struck to indicate that he was the ‘de facto’ overlord of Las Bela. This series soon degenerated, as

exemplified by No. 7 and gets appreciably worse as shown by No. 8, which is however dated - possibly AH 1286 (AD 1869).

That these coins and the later coins of Kalat were struck bearing the name of Mahmud Khan and not that of the ruler Khudadad Khan is puzzling, but it is explained by Major Minchin? that they were struck in the

name of Khudadad’s son, who was virtually responsible for administering the state and who later became Mir Mahmud Khan II, Khan of Kalat.

Valentine, W. H., The Copper Coins of India, Part II: The Panjab and contiguous native states, London 1914.
Minchin, M., Baluchistan District Gazetteer, 1907. 90 grns AH 1276