The Puddester Collection (Part I)

East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta Mint: post-1761 issues, First gold coinage, gold Sixty-Fourth Mohur in the name of ‘Shah ‘Alam II (1173-1221h/1759-1806), presumed Kalkata, yr 5 [1763-4], sikka zad bar haft kishwar saya fazl ilah hami din muhammad shah alam badshah [defender of the religion of Muhammad, Shah ‘Alam emperor, shadow of the divine favour, put his stamp on the seven climes], rev. zarb [––] sanah 5 julus maimanat manus [struck at [––] in the 5th year of his reign of tranquil prosperity], 0.17g/3h (Prid. – [not in Sale]; Stevens 2.6, this coin cited; Stevens website image 1297i, second coin illustrated; Kulkarni, Numismatic Digest vols. 27-8, p.117, this coin; KM. –; F 1525g). Extremely fine and of the highest rarity, only one other specimen on the Stevens website [certified and graded NGC MS 65] £1,000-£2,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Puddester Collection.

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Collection

Bt H. Simmons (London).

Two owner’s tickets, one detailing an extension of the calligraphy on the coin, plus envelope.

Prashant Kulkarni stated that the mint on the die must be Kalkata, citing similarity to Nazarana rupees of 1175 and 1176h bearing this mint name, although Stevens has grouped all the first gold coinage together under a Calcutta/Murshidabad heading (p.13)