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8 Gani - Muhammad bin Tughluq
| Issuer | Delhi Sultanate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1329-1331 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.42 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | The reverse field bears a two-line Arabic and Persian legend in raised Naskh script, reading 'Adl Hasht Gani' (meaning 'Just Eight Gani'), denoting both the denomination and affirming the sultan's quality of justice. The bold, deeply cut lettering fills the flan in a manner consistent with other Tughlaq-period copper issues, with the word 'Adl' (justice) prominently placed in the upper register. A raised, irregular rim encircles the inscribed field, and scattered pellet ornaments are visible between the letterforms. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, with a warm brown copper surface patinated with areas of dark oxidation. |
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| Additional information |
Muhammad bin Tughluq's token currency experiment of 1329–1331 was one of the most audacious monetary failures in medieval history. Facing a treasury strained by ambitious military campaigns and an abortive attempt to relocate the capital to Daulatabad, the sultan issued copper and brass coins as forced equivalents to silver — commanding acceptance by royal decree without backing the tokens with reserve metal. Merchants, predictably, began minting their own. Counterfeiting became so widespread and so simple that the sultan was eventually forced to redeem the entire issue in silver, reportedly bankrupting the treasury in the process.