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Falus - Muhammad Shah I
| Issuer | Bahmani Sultanate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1358-1375 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Tanka (1347-1518) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Hammered copper flan of irregular form bearing a hand-struck Arabic legend reading 'Al-mu'ayyad bi-nasr allah' (Strengthened by the help of God), the royal epithet of Sultan Muhammad Shah I. The inscription is rendered in a bold, angular script across the field, characteristic of early Bahmani coinage, with the letters showing the typical flattening and slight doubling associated with the hammered technique. The surface displays natural die wear and flan irregularities consistent with mid-14th century Deccan mint production. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | المعيد بنصر الله |
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| Additional information |
Muhammad Shah I founded the Bahmani Sultanate's independent coinage tradition after Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah — the dynasty's founder — had largely relied on repurposed Tughluq-era issues. The copper falus occupied the lowest register of a monetary hierarchy that also ran silver tankas, and in the Deccan's fragmented market economy it was the denomination most likely to have actually changed hands in daily trade.
The Bahmani court at Gulbarga was actively at war with the Vijayanagara Empire through much of this reign, and copper supplies from the interior were intermittent.