Shah Alam I, Silver, 11.58 g, 31 mm, Nazarana Rupee, Azimabad (Patna) mint, AH 1119, RY Ahad, Sikka / Badshah Ghaji / Shah Alam on obv, Azimabad / Julus Sanah Ahad / Zarb on rev, dotted border and circular borders on both the sides (Needh-Tariq# M7.23). About Extremely Fine for the type, Unpublished and reported for the first time here, Unique!
In the first year of his reign, Shah Alam I was contemplating with his Royal name. In the beginning he issued coins with his pre-accession name, Muzaam, than he adopted new name as Bahadur Shah, then as Alamgir II, Shah Alam and finally he settled with the name as Shah Alam Bahadur. The present coin is one such example wherein he employed the name as Shah Alam but without Bahadur suffix. Another important aspect of this coin is that he has eliminated the use of Julus Formula which other wise was a staple type for Aurangzeb and later rulers. Moreover, he has also used only the Sikka part of the couplet Sikka Mubarak on this coin.
Shah Alam I, like Emperor Jahangir, took personal interest in his own currency. He issued instructions to mint masters that his coins should carry no couplets but just a simple obverse. The above coin is a result of his direct intervention in Mughal Numismatics!
