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1 Rupee - Sher Shah Suri Kalpi mint
| Issuer | Sur Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1541-1543 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic/Devanagari |
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| Reverse description | Central double-square cartouche containing the Kalima Shahada ('There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God') in Arabic script across the field. In the four corners of the surrounding border, the names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs are inscribed: Abu Bakr (left), Umar Faruq (top), Uthman Ghani (right), and Ali Murtaza (bottom). The mint name Kalpi (ضرب کالپے) appears within the border, completing the reverse design in the characteristic Sur imperial style. |
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| Additional information |
Sher Shah Suri's rupee was not merely a coin — it was a monetary reform. After defeating Humayun at Kanauj in 1540 and seizing the Mughal throne, Sher Shah standardized the silver rupee at a fixed weight, establishing the bimetallic system that would outlast his own dynasty and form the template the Mughals later adopted wholesale. The Kalpi mint, situated on the Yamuna in present-day Uttar Pradesh, was one of several provincial mints activated to meet the enormous demand of this rapid currency overhaul.
Sher Shah's entire reign lasted only five years, cut short by a gunpowder explosion at Kalinjar in 1545. Issues from the Kalpi mint across this compressed window are consequently scarce.