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Gold Tanka - Nasir al-din Nusrat
| Issuer | Sultanate of Bengal (Indian Sultanates) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1518-1532 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Hammered gold tanka with the entire field occupied by a multi-line Arabic legend in bold, deeply struck Naskh script arranged in four horizontal registers within a plain raised border. The inscription reads the royal titulature of Sultan Nasir al-din Nusrat Shah, proclaiming him 'al-sultan bin al-sultan nasir al-dunya wa'l-din abu'l muzaffar.' The flat, unadorned field displays the characteristic irregular flan of Bengal sultanate coinage, with no decorative devices or geometric framework. The bold, deeply incised calligraphy fills the entire coin surface, reflecting the aniconic tradition of Islamic numismatics in medieval Bengal. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Nusrat Shah ruled Bengal during one of its most prosperous periods, maintaining independence from the Lodi Sultanate at Delhi while simultaneously repelling the early Mughal incursions that followed Babur's 1526 victory at Panipat. Bengal under his reign was wealthy enough to sustain gold coinage at a weight standard that most contemporary Indian sultanates had long abandoned in favor of silver or billon.
GG#B830 is a recognized reference point for this type, though die variation across the series is considerable given the span of the reign.