Afghanistan #3

[Jochen]

Now that I see that there is a member with some knowledge (Thanks, Manzikert!), here is the next of this series. Small, very thick(!), heavy:
diameter 19.9mm
thickness  8.1mm
weight    19.9g

Any information?

Regards,
Jochen

[Manzikert]

Sorry to have taken so long on this one, but I haven't been able to get at my collection for a few days, to confirm what I thought it was (the darkness of the scan made me rather uncertain).

It is a 'dam' (the largest denomination of copper coin, at 40 to the rupee), issued by the Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605), and is probably from the Chitor mint. It is dated 1001 AH (1593 AD), the 'line dot dot line' under the four linked circles on the obverse (which should be turned 90 degrees anti-clockwise to get it the right way up).

The type is listed in Krause's 'Standard Guide to South Asian Coins and Paper Money' as KM 28.14 but is not illustrated.

[Jochen]

Thanks again, Manzikert!

May I show another coin? Only one side, the other is so worn that nothing is to see. The pic here shows 2 figures standing left, holding a standard(?), only a guess.
size 21.2mm
weight 4.71g

Regards,
Jochen

[Manzikert]

The nearest I can get is a copper quarter unit of the Kushan king Kanishka, c.130-158 AD: the weight and diameter are right.

This would be the reverse, showing one of the gods/goddesses standing looking left, with the right arm outstretched. The two nearest are possibly Shiva (with the things above his shoulders being his extra pair of arms) or the Moon goddess Mao (where the things above the shoulders are the sides of her halo). See http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/kushan/i_kush_3098_r.jpg or http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/kushan/i_kush_3145_r.jpg for examples of these two types.

Against this is the fact that the symbol under the outstretched arm should be a four-pronged trident (sic) with a semicircular handle, but on your piece it seems to have an almost heart-shaped top. There are large numbers of degenerate copies of the Kushan coinages made by the Jouan-Jouan and other peoples, and it could be one of these with a blundered symbol, but I would prefer to see a better scan before comitting myself any further.

[Jochen]

Manzikert, thanks so much!

Jochen