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1/2 Dam - Akbar
| Issuer | Mughal Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1556-1605 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 10.37 g |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the imperial titulature of the Mughal emperor Akbar in bold Arabic script, boldly hammered across the irregular flan. The legend reads 'Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar Badshah Ghazi,' arranged in multiple registers filling the field. The script is executed in a characteristic Mughal calligraphic style, with strokes of varying depth owing to the hand-struck technique. The coin exhibits a pronounced green patina over the copper surface, with areas of original reddish-brown metal visible through the encrustation. The flan edges are irregular, consistent with hand-cut and hammered production methods of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears an Arabic inscription in multiple registers across the field, recording the mint name and regnal or Hijri date of issue. The legend 'Zarb [Mint Name] / [Date]' is struck in bold, deeply impressed characters typical of Mughal copper coinage of the Akbar period. The flan is irregular and shows characteristic hammermarks and surface undulation resulting from the hand-hammering process. Patination ranges from dark olive-green to reddish-brown, with portions of the legend partially obscured by corrosion. No decorative border or additional design elements are present, the entire reverse field being devoted to the inscription. |
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| Additional information |
Akbar's copper coinage underwent repeated reform throughout his reign, most notably following the administrative overhaul of 1577–78 when the dam system was rationalized into a more coherent decimal hierarchy. The half dam occupied a genuinely functional role in bazaar commerce at a time when silver rupees were far too valuable for everyday transactions — copper carried the real weight of the Mughal street economy.
KM# 28.1 distinguishes this as an early mint variety within what is otherwise a sprawling and complex series. Akbar's fifty-year reign produced dam fractions from dozens of mints, and attributing specific pieces to mint and regnal year remains an active area of scholarship.