Sher Ali Khan's reign was defined by the pressure of the Great Game — caught between Russian advances from the north and British demands from the south, he ultimately fled Kabul in 1878 as British forces crossed the border, triggering the Second Anglo-Afghan War. This Balkh-mint piece dates to that final year of his rule. The Balkh mint was one of several provincial operations producing copper coinage of inconsistent weight and fabric, which is why the KM#38.1 designation isolates it from otherwise similar issues struck at Kabul and Kandahar.
Sher Ali Khan's reign was defined by the pressure of the Great Game — caught between Russian advances from the north and British demands from the south, he ultimately fled Kabul in 1878 as British forces crossed the border, triggering the Second Anglo-Afghan War. This Balkh-mint piece dates to that final year of his rule. The Balkh mint was one of several provincial operations producing copper coinage of inconsistent weight and fabric, which is why the KM#38.1 designation isolates it from otherwise similar issues struck at Kabul and Kandahar.