Jahandar Shah's reign lasted less than a year — he seized the Mughal throne in early 1712 by defeating his brothers, then lost it and his life to his nephew Farrukh Siyar by January 1713. Coins struck in his name are consequently scarce across all mints and denominations, with copper fractions like this dam surviving in particularly poor numbers due to the indifference with which base-metal issues were historically preserved.
Surat remained an active Mughal mint through this turbulent succession period largely because of its commercial importance as a port city, keeping production running regardless of who held Delhi.
Jahandar Shah's reign lasted less than a year — he seized the Mughal throne in early 1712 by defeating his brothers, then lost it and his life to his nephew Farrukh Siyar by January 1713. Coins struck in his name are consequently scarce across all mints and denominations, with copper fractions like this dam surviving in particularly poor numbers due to the indifference with which base-metal issues were historically preserved.
Surat remained an active Mughal mint through this turbulent succession period largely because of its commercial importance as a port city, keeping production running regardless of who held Delhi.