Akbar, Silver Coin of Ahmedabad Mint

This silver coin seems to have been struck on an existing Nazarana coin. The word Nazarana is derived from the Persian ‘nazr’ and means a presentation or tribute. On special occasions, Nazaranas or Nazars were presented to the king. People would order and buy these coins from the mint when they wanted to make a special gift. An additional fee had to be paid for these coins as they demanded extra labour. Nazaranas were struck on wider planchets and contained full impressions of both the dies.

Listen to a Sarmaya Talk by Paul Abraham on Mughal emperors and their coins here. Read our guide to Mughal coins here.