Lot 558

Mughal, Shah Alam II (AH 1174-1221, 1759-1806 AD), Copper Paisa, 8.32 gms, 20.39 mm, Akbarabad Mint (By type), AH 1215, RY 43, Under Daulat Rao Scindhia, Issued by John William Hessing Governor of Agra fort, obv: sikka mubarak badshah ghazi, rev: (J)WH initials mark with RY 43, John William Hessing (spelt as Jan Willem Hessing in Dutch) was a native of Holland. He entered the military service of the V.O.C. (United Dutch East India Company). At an early age of thirteen and arrived Ceylon in 1752. Five years later he returned to Netherlands but obviously longing for adventure he returned in 1763 to the east again. Possibly as a result of Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, by which in 1781 the British occupied the Dutch settlements in India, Hessing, as did many of his colleagues took refuge with the local potent ates and entered into military service with them. Hessing first served in the army of the Nizam of the Deccan and in 1784 entered the services of Sindhia, where he got the command of two battalions formed by Benoit de Boigne. On 16 April 1799 Perron captured the Agra  Fort for Daulat Rao. Hessing was thereupon appointed Comannder of the Agra Fort and it's Maratha garrison and the city of Agra. He held Agra till his death on 21 July 1803, KM # 549.1, fine+, very rare.