1/2 Fanam - Alamgir II Karpa Mint

Alamgir II was a puppet emperor from the moment of his accession in 1754, real power held by the wazir Imad-ul-Mulk, who ultimately had him murdered in 1759. The Karpa mint, operating in what is now coastal Andhra Pradesh, continued striking in his name through the reign's full nominal span regardless — a reminder of how detached peripheral minting operations had become from actual imperial authority by the mid-eighteenth century.

At 0.18 g, the fanam denomination reflects South Indian monetary tradition absorbed into Mughal administration rather than anything originating from the imperial heartland. These tiny gold pieces circulated alongside East India Company currency in the Coromandel Coast trade economy.