© IFS (CC BY-SA)
© IFS (CC BY-SA)
½ Falus - Baj Bahadur ND
| Copper | 3.47 g | - |
| Issuer | Sultanate of Malwa (Indian Sultanates) |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 963-968 |
| Value | ½ Falus |
| Currency | Tanka (1401-1562) |
| Composition | Copper |
| Weight | 3.47 g |
| Size | 12 mm |
| Thickness | 3.5 mm |
| Shape | Square (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-05 |
| Numista | N#326326 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 94% |
Reverse
Name of ruler, mostly off flan.
No date
Script: Arabic
Lettering: باز بهادر السلطان
Translation: The Sultan Baz Bahadur
Edge
Plain, irregular sides
Comment
Probably struck during the period of annexation by Akbar, After he defeated Baj Bahadur (also Baz Bahadur) the last Independent Sultan of Malwa.On History and Coinage of Malwa, Fourth series - Vol III, by Sir John Evans, Numismatic r and Journal of the numismatic Society, and on The coinage of the sultans of Malwa, Fifth series - Vol XI, by J Allan, Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the numismatic Society, there are no references to the fractional 1/2 Falus types, only to the 1 Falus coins of about 6.54-6.74 grams (101-104 grains).
The first references to the existence of a 1/2 Falus coin date to the 1937 work of the Central Archaeological Library, Government of India, through the paper On certain unpublished Coins of the Sultans of Malwa page 119. By C. R. Singhal, plate 118, with a similar type, and weight of 3.37 grams(52 grains), no dating. Goron & Goenka; 2001, cite this type as GG#M245, with several variants.
After that, numerous websites do acknowledge this type, with different variants, and can be found at Zeno.ru:
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=135044
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=154503
https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=124681
A very good forum article discussing this coin can be read at:
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=3100.0
with several pictures of both the 1 Falus and the 1/2 Falus examples.
Some pictures of the same type:
All coins have reported weights varying between 3.05 and 3.60 grams, and side lengths of 11 to 13 mm.
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about the ½ Falus coin from the Sultanate of Malwa is that it features a unique blend of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles on its reverse side. The coin's design includes a depiction of a mosque with a dome and minarets, alongside a Hindu temple with a shikhara and a gopuram. This blending of architectural styles reflects the cultural diversity and religious syncretism that characterized the Indian Sultanates during the medieval period.
