Description
British East India Company, the Bengal Presidency, Gold Quarter Mohur (3.08g, 16mm), ‘frozen’ Hijri year 1204, regnal year 19, Calcutta mint (named ‘Murshidabad’) circa 1793-1818 AD, struck in the name of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. Obverse: Legend in Persian, naming the emperor and Anno Hegirae year, transliterated as “sikka shāh ‘ālam bādshāh ghāzī, 1204”. Reverse: Legend as obverse, naming ‘Murshidabad’ and regnal year, transliterated as “zarb murshīdābād sanah 19”. Edge: Oblique right grain milling. Stevens-4.7; Prid-64; Friedberg-1539. Lightly toned and quite attraction, a nice proclamation fractional from the extended series, details Extremely Fine.
The obverse Persian legend has an English translation of “coin of Shah ‘Alam the Victorious Emperor, 1204”. The reverse Persian legend has an English translation of “struck at Murshidabad in the 19th year”.
Although the gold Mohur struck by the Honourable British East India Company for the Bengal Presidency was the chosen money piece mentioned within the Australian Proclamation document of 1800 by Philip Gidley King, the Governor of New South Wales, the fractionals and higher denominations are accepted as part of the ‘wider series’. Therefore, within Colonial Australia, the quarter Mohur had a theoretical face value of 9 Shillings 3 Pence.