1 Paisa - Sher Shah Suri Chunar mint

Sher Shah Suri's copper paisa coinage belongs to one of the most consequential monetary reforms in South Asian history. Having displaced the Mughal emperor Humayun in 1540, Sher Shah overhauled the inherited Lodi-era currency system entirely, standardizing weights and compositions across his mints in a way that Mughal administrators would later inherit and build upon. The Chunar mint is significant here — the fortress at Chunar on the Ganges had been a strategic prize contested between Sher Shah and Humayun before the final Mughal rout, and its operation as a productive mint reflects how quickly Sher Shah consolidated administrative control after victory.