Copper Replica of Jahangir's Giant Coin Crafted

Hyderabad: Ragi Vaikuntachary, numismatist and jewellery designer, has recreated a copper replica of the legendary 1,000-tola gold mohur issued during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1605–1627 CE).

The handcrafted coin, weighing 1 kg and measuring 9.5 inches in diameter, has been gold-plated. Vaikuntachary said the process took nearly a year, with the replica taking shape only on the sixth attempt. “I took assistance from Urdu experts. As I had the original pictures, I was able to make an accurate replica,” he explained.

Reference images were sourced through numismatic experts including Shailen Bhandare of Oxford University. The design was sketched and refined with guidance from Jan Lingen (Netherlands), Dr D. Raja Reddy, president of the Numismatic Society of India, and Dr Danish Moin, associate professor of history at Maulana Azad Urdu National University.

The original Jahangir-era coin, weighing 11.935 kg, was minted at Dar al-Khilafat, Agra, in Hijri year 1022 (1613–14 AD). According to Vaikuntachary, no similar coin was minted thereafter. The coin later became part of the collection of the Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan (1911–48) and subsequently Mukarram Jah, before entering a private collection.

Vaikuntachary is now working on recreating gold coins from 10 dynasties, including the Guptas and Vijayanagaras. He said his inspiration came from his father, who collected ancient coins — vital historical sources alongside inscriptions. “Several coins from the Samsthanas, especially from the Warangal region, are yet to be identified to fill the gaps,” he added.