Bilal writes: Dear Sir, It is to inform you that I am resident of Pakistan have some antique Golden coins of Badishah Shahjahan . These are even not available in our National Musuam. Hoping a quick and positive response. Thanks, Bilal
Badshah (not Badishah) was the famous ruler of the Mughal Empire (Islamic India) who was responsible for the building of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife, Momtaj Mahal. His complete name was Shihabuddin Shah “Badshah” Shahjahan and he ruled the Mughal Empire from AH 1037 -1068 (1628-58 AD).
The term Golden coins of Badishah Shahjahan sounds like advertising copy (with a spelling mistake) and is not a description of any specific coin. It is like saying “The Golden Coins of the United States”. Other then getting information that we are talking about gold coins, there is no description worthy of an evaluation.
Coins of Badshah Shahjahan are offered for sale quite often. You can imagine the popularity of collecting this ruler’s coins because of his connection to the Taj Mahal. He was in power long enough to have minted a good number of coins and because of the nature of the contemporary economic system, most exchange had to be in gold coins in order to be acceptable within and beyond the Empire.
As in many coin series, there may be rare dates or types and these may be rare enough not to be found in a national collection. A specific rare date or type doesn’t make an entire coin series equally rare.
For example, just a cursory check of current list and auction offerings shows the following listing for a gold Mohur of Shahjahan in EF grade. Note the complete description offered by the seller:
MUGHAL EMPIRE. Shahjahan, AH 1037-1068/1628-1658 AD. GOLD Mohur, Daulatabad AH 1067, regnal year 30. Shahjahan badshah ghazi in pointed quatrefoil / Kalima with date and regnal year in pointed quatrefoil. Legends around.
KM 258.3 ……EF $475.
If you have a rare issue you will have to be a great deal more specific as to date, type, denomination and grade
