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1 Dam - Akbar Gorakhpur mint
| Issuer | Mughal Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1604-1605 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Hammered copper flan of irregular outline bearing the Arabic legend 'Tanka Akbar Shahi' in the upper field, separated from the lower field by a horizontal divider line. Below the divider, the distinctive mint symbol of Gorakhpur — a six-pointed star — occupies the lower portion of the coin. The legends and device are struck in relief on a granular, pitted field typical of Mughal copper coinage of the period. The overall style is characteristic of the provincial hammered issues produced under Emperor Akbar at the Gorakhpur mint. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears the Ilahi regnal year inscribed in Arabic numerals in the upper field, with the Ilahi month name positioned in the lower field, referencing the Divine Era calendar introduced by Emperor Akbar. A horizontal line or border divides the two registers. The strike is characteristic of provincial Mughal hammered copper coinage, with the legends partially weak due to the irregular flan and hand-striking technique. The field shows the typical rough, granular surface associated with Akbar-era dam coinage from the Gorakhpur mint. |
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| Additional information |
The dam was the base unit of Akbar's reformed copper coinage, introduced as part of his sweeping fiscal reorganization in the 1560s — a system designed to bring provincial mints like Gorakhpur into a standardized imperial framework. Gorakhpur, operating in the eastern reaches of the empire, served a largely agricultural revenue zone; its copper output facilitated local tax collection rather than long-distance trade.
This piece dates to the final year of Akbar's reign, who died in October 1605. Late Gorakhpur issues are among the less frequently encountered in this series by mint.