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1/2 Fanam - Ahmad Shah Bahadur
| Issuer | Mughal Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1748-1754 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Crude Arabic inscription occupying the entire field of this diminutive hammered gold fanam, reading the name and title of the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur. The legend is rendered in a highly stylized and compressed form characteristic of small-denomination Mughal fanams, with the characters arranged in an abstract, almost ornamental manner within the round flan. The relief is low and the strike typical of hand-hammered issues of this period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
Ahmad Shah Bahadur's reign was effectively controlled by the Wazir Safdarjung and later by Imad-ul-Mulk, who had the emperor blinded and deposed in 1754. Coinage issued under his name reflects a court that was Mughal in name while the actual authority had fragmented irreversibly among competing nobles and regional powers.
At 0.18 g, the fanam denomination descends from South Indian monetary tradition absorbed into Mughal provincial coinage — not a Delhi innovation.