Shah Jahan pre-accession name Khurram, Kabul Mint, Silver Rupee, AH 1037, Obv: Arabic legend The Kalima in a circle, names and attributes of the Rashidoon Caliphs in mihrab-shaped cartouches around (ba-‘Adl-i ‘Umar wa Haya-i ‘Uthman visible), Rev: Persian legend "zarb Kabul" (mint name) at the bottom and "Na" (mistakenly copied from Nisar die? ), "Shahjahan Khurram Badshah bin Jahangir Badshah Ghazi with 1037 Hijri year" in four lines, 11.20g, 22.00mm, (Not listed in KM), test marks, about very fine, a great rarity, Unique.

Note: Khurram (cheerful, smiling, happy) was the name given by Akbar, who shared a special bond with this grandson, in 1592 to the firstborn son of Jahangir. Akbar gave Khurram’s charge to his queen Ruqaiya Sultana. In 1607, Khurram was engaged to Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, and they married in 1612. Under the reign of his father Jahangir, Khurram commanded many campaigns and displayed excellent military talent. However, since 1622, his relationship with Jahangir grew exceedingly fraught and he came out in open rebellion against his father.

When Jahangir died in 1627, Khurram was in the Deccan, in an asylum with the Nizamshahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar. Nur Jahan, the Empress, made a bid for Shahriyar, Khurram’s younger brother to succeed Jahangir. However, her brother Asaf Khan had been a supporter of Khurram and he instigated a plot to lay Khurram’s claims to the throne. Accordingly, Khurram moved from Deccan to Lahore and defeated the claimant Shahriyar’s partisans to ascend the Mughal throne. He then moved to Agra and was crowned in his regnal name ‘Shahjahan’ on 16^th February 1628.

Rare coins were struck in Shahjahan’s pre-accession name ‘Khurram’ in the very early period of his reign. They are known from the mints of Lahore and Kabul. A rare ¼ rupee bearing the legend "Nisar" was also struck at Lahore to mark Khurram’s accession. By far the rarest issue in the name ‘Khurram’ are the rupees struck at Kabul. The cataloguer is aware of only one other piece in private hands. This coin, along with the one already known, has helped us in reconstructing the full legend on the reverse of the type.

This is a highly important coin in the Mughal coinage and has never been offered previously in any auction.

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