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1/2 Rupee - Muhammad Shah Arcot
| Issuer | Arcot Mint (Nawabs of Arcot, struck in the name of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1739 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Reverse description | Persian (Nastaliq) script in two registers separated by a horizontal ruled line, bearing the julus (regnal year) formula and the mint name Arcot. Additional ornamental pellets appear in the field. The inscription style is consistent with provincial Mughal hammered coinage issued under the authority of the Nawabs of Arcot in the name of the reigning emperor. |
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| Reverse lettering | جلوس مبارک ارکاٹ |
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| Additional information |
1739 was the year Nadir Shah of Persia sacked Delhi, massacred tens of thousands of its inhabitants, and carried off the Peacock Throne — effectively ending any meaningful Mughal authority over the subcontinent. Coins struck in Muhammad Shah's name at peripheral mints like Arcot continued regardless, the fiction of imperial sovereignty maintained in metal long after it had collapsed in practice.
The Nawabs of Arcot operated with increasing autonomy throughout this period, their relationship with both the Mughal court and the rising European trading companies shifting constantly. Striking in the emperor's name was commercial and diplomatic habit as much as anything else.