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1/8 Anna - Shah Alam II
| Issuer | Bengal Presidency |
|---|---|
| Year | 1781 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | Central field displays a Persian legend reading 'Sanat 22 Julus', denoting the 22nd regnal year of Emperor Shah Alam II, arranged in two lines in flowing Naskh script. The numeral 22 appears prominently in the centre of the design. Decorative rosette ornaments are positioned symmetrically in the lower field, flanking the inscription. The entire composition is contained within a raised toothed border consistent with the obverse treatment. |
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| Additional information |
Shah Alam II was, by 1781, emperor in name only — blind, pensioned, and entirely under Maratha protection after the British had withdrawn his stipend following his ill-fated alliance with the rebel Nawab of Oudh. The Bengal Presidency continued striking coins in his name regardless, a legal fiction that suited the East India Company's need to operate within Mughal monetary authority while controlling the actual machinery of revenue extraction.
The Pr#198 reference places this in Pridmore's classification of EIC copper issues, a series notorious for inconsistent planchet preparation at the Calcutta mint.