Lot 304

Mughal, Aurangzeb (AH 1068-1118, 1658-1707 AD), Silver Rupee, 11.31 gms, 21.89 mm, Dar al-Sultanat Lahore Mint (partially visible at top on rev), and dated AH 1110 (AD 1698–99), RY 42, 'Badar-e-munir' Couplet, combines standard imperial design with an unusual Sikh element. It bears Aurangzeb’s name, regnal year (42), and the mint title “Dar al-Sultanat.” Its distinctive feature is the inclusion of the khanda—the Sikh emblem of a double-edged sword within a chakram and flanked by two swords—subtly placed within the inscription at 7'O clock on the reverse, This issue is extremely rare and appears limited to this single year. It was minted during a period of intense conflict in Punjab between the Mughal Empire and Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who founded the "Khalsa" on March 30, 1699 AD (= 29 Ramadan AH 1110). The appearance of the khanda on an official Mughal coin, prior to any Sikh state authority, is highly unusual and not fully understood. It likely reflects a local and possibly unofficial arrangement between Sikh groups in Lahore and mint officials. The coin thus represents a unique and historically significant overlap of Mughal authority and emerging Sikh identity, KM # 300.53 var, Saran Singh, “The First Coins of the Sikhs,” ONS Newsletter 144 (Spring 1995), p. 8 (for a later Mughal issue with the symbol), similar to Zeno # 177324, extremely fine, very rare.