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1/2 Anna - Shah Alam II
| Issuer | Bengal Presidency |
|---|---|
| Year | 1781 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 14.5399 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | The central field displays the Persian legend 'Sanat 22 Julus' — denoting the 22nd regnal year of Shah Alam II — inscribed in bold Naskh-style Arabic script. Star and crescent ornaments are scattered symmetrically in the surrounding field, consistent with the decorative conventions of Bengal Presidency copper coinage. The entire design is enclosed within a raised toothed border forming a well-defined rim. The numeral '22' is prominently rendered in large Eastern Arabic numerals at the centre of the field. |
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| Additional information |
Shah Alam II was the Mughal emperor in whose name the East India Company continued to strike coins long after he had lost any meaningful authority over Bengal — the Diwani, granted by the emperor himself in 1765, handed revenue administration of the province directly to the Company. Issuing coins under his name was a legal convenience, not a political reality.
The Pr#192 reference places this piece in Pridmore's taxonomy of Company copper, a series notorious for inconsistent planchet preparation and variable striking pressure across the Calcutta operation in the early 1780s.