Octagonal Rupee, Silver, 10.95 g, issued on the Mughal Proto-type with the name of Muhammad Shah as Sahib Qiran, with the mint name Shahjahanabad Dar ul Khilafat mint, mint name at top, Frozen Regnal Year 22 on rev.
The silver and gold coins of Jaiselmer are divided into 3 types: In the name of Muhammad Shah, in the name of Victoria Queen, and in the name of Victoria Queen with an addition of Bird and Chhatra symbols. Coins of all the three types are known, apart from the regular round shape, in various shapes like square, hexagonal, octagonal, and irregular polygons. These odd shapes of Rupees and Mohurs were made by cutting from metal bars and then hammering into shapes required. All these Rupees of different shapes seem to have been struck from same set of dies. These coins are certainly not Nazarana coins but they might represent an Emergency Coinage. Weight of many of these coins of first 2 Types are also lesser as compared to other regular issues, because in 1860s, Thakur Kesari Singh, the then Diwan of Jaisalmer, tried to restore unsuccessfully the purity of Jaisalmeri coins by introducing coins with a weight of 10.53 g, and a silver content of 97.50%. However, the local merchants did not accept the new and light Rupees and the monetary reform was abandoned.
About Extremely Fine, Extremely Rare.
