Note: In 1658 AD, following the defeat of Dara Shikoh at the Battle of Samugarh, Aurangzeb advanced on Agra and compelled Emperor Shah Jahan to relinquish imperial authority. A first, hastily arranged coronation was held on 1 Zilqa‘da 1068 AH (21 July 1658) at the Bagh-e-Fakhr-Ara (Shalimar Gardens). This ceremony, however, lacked full legal sanction, as the Qazi-ul-Quzat declined to authorize the khutba while Shah Jahan remained alive and nominally sovereign.

After eliminating rival claimants and consolidating power, Aurangzeb conducted a second and fully sanctioned coronation on 24 Ramzan 1069 AH (5 June 1659) at the Diwan-i-Khas, Shahjahanabad. The contemporary chronicle Alamgirnama by Muhammad Kazim records the event as a grand ceremonial affirmation of authority, accompanied by extensive distributions of khil‘ats, promotions, and nazarana payments in gold and silver. Coinage formed an integral part of this imperial affirmation.

Subsequently, an imperial farman retrospectively fixed 1 Ramzan 1068 AH (23 May 1658) as the official accession date. Under this decree, the first regnal year (Ahad) was deemed to run until 12 May 1659, with AH 1070 commencing on 8 September 1659. This retrospective standardization conflicted with coins already struck during the transitional period following the second coronation.

The occurrence of rupees dated AH 1070 with regnal year Ahad, such as the present specimen, was struck in accordance with the second coronation of Aurangzeb, before the issuing of the farman that affixed the date of ascension. This issue may thus be understood as transitional issue coinage, struck during the final phase of Aurangzeb’s legitimization process-after sovereignty had been firmly established in practice, but before imperial chronology had been irrevocably codified.

The combination AH 1070 / Ahad, the ceremonial nazarana fabric, refined calligraphy, and broad flan all point to a special court issue, rather than routine circulation coinage. These pieces are exceptionally rare, unlisted in major catalogues, and represent some of the most historically revealing artifacts of Aurangzeb Alamgir’s early reign.

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