Forged Mohur of Shah Alam II

Bengal Province of the British Empire in India which were previously the Presidency of Fort William was familiar as the Bengal Presidency. It covered large parts of what is now South Asia and Southeast Asia at the pick of its territorial jurisdiction.

Ali Gohar familiar as Shah Alam II was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor. He was the son of Alamgir II. He became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. His 1st reign was from10 October 1760 to 31 July 1788 and 2nd reign was from 16 October 1788 to 19 November 1806.

During the reign of Shah Alam II, pure Gold one mohur was minted with a weight around 12.36gm and diameter around 26mm. Obverse was Persian inscription, couplet and reverse was Persian-julus (formula) with mint name. Edge of the coin was oblique milling. It was minted in Azimabad, Jahangirnagar, Calcutta and Murshidabad. But I found a gold colour coin of Shah Alam II, quite similar as one mohur of Shah Alam II (1788). Metal composition of this coin was 62% Copper, 37% Zinc, 0.2% Iron, 0.014% Platinum and other metals with 0% Gold or 0% Silver. Furthermore, weight was 7.18g and diameter 25mm but outside border was missing on it. This coin seems to be forged or OMS. Colour found gold, therefore can be considered as a forged mohur of Shah Alam II. Further experiment needs to identify the age of this forged mohur to discover the mystery behind this. Production of a similar fake mohur during that period was difficult. And second option is to consider as OMS.

 




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