Lot 31

Bengal Sultanate, Nasir al Din Mahmud Bughra Shah (AH 687-688, 1287-1288 AD), Silver Fractional Tanka, 1.88 gms, 11.33 mm, Lakhnauti Mint (stylistically) ,from the land tax of Banga, Nasir al-Din Mahmud Bughra Shah was a son of Balban and had been installed as governor of Bengal. He must have been successful in wresting power away from his name-sake, and then in turn declared his independence from Dehli. He too issued only one type of tanka though there are some variations in the ornamental bead above the ain of azam. All the tankas are struck from the land-tax of Bang. In addition there is what appears to be the first in a series of rare small fractional silver coins that continued until the reign of Ghiyäth al-Din Bahadur. The main identifying characteristic of this coin is the hollow ornamental bead above the ain of azam which is not seen on the issues other ruler’s. The specimen offered here is struck from the larger tanka dies, Unlisted in G&G, very fine+, extremely rare.