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1 Rupee - Shah Alam II Akbarabad, Maratha Confederacy
| Issuer | Maratha Confederacy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1784 |
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| Currency | Rupee (1674-1818) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Hammered silver flan bearing multi-line Arabic/Nastaliq calligraphic legend across the field, with the characteristic Maratha fish symbol (mahi) depicted in low relief at the center of the design, serving as the Maratha Confederacy's distinguishing mint mark on coinage struck in the name of Shah Alam II. Additional inscriptions in Nastaliq script surround the fish symbol, referencing the regnal year and cycle year. The fish motif, rendered with hatched body detail, is a hallmark of Maratha-controlled issues from the Agra mint. |
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| Reverse lettering | جلوس میمنت مانوس شاه عالم بادشاه غازی |
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| Additional information |
Shah Alam II was the Mughal emperor in name while the Marathas held him as a political instrument — after the catastrophic Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 had shattered Maratha power, their recovery was remarkable enough that by the 1770s they were again minting in his name from Agra (Akbarabad), asserting authority over the imperial heartland. This coin is essentially a political document: the Marathas issuing Mughal-formula rupees to legitimize their de facto control while the emperor himself had no real power to refuse.
The Akbarabad mint had been a prestige Mughal operation for over a century before the Marathas took it.