brassmanticore: Coin, dated A.H. 1031/A.D. 1621–22. India, Agra. Islamic. Gold; Diam. 13/16 in
brassmanticore:Coin, dated A.H. 1031/A.D. 1621–22. India, Agra. Islamic. Gold; Diam. 13/16 in. (2.1 cm), W. 1/16 in. (0.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Joseph H. Durkee, 1898 (99.35.7401)This Mughal coin, minted during the reign of Jahangir (r. 1605–27) in A.H. 1031/A.D. 1621–22, is one of a group of coins representing signs of the zodiac. In his memoirs, Jahangir recounts his decision to have coins minted with these astrological signs:Prior to this, it has been the rule that on one side of gold coins my name has been engraved, and on the other side the name of the minting place, the month, and the regnal year. Around this time it occurred to me that instead of the month a figure of the constellation representing the month should be depicted … for every month in which a coin is minted one side would bear a picture of the constellation in which the sun rose. This method is peculiarly my own and has never been used before.1This extraordinary account tells us of the personal interest the Mughal emperor took in designing coins and in claiming it as a unique idea. It’s also worth noting that Jahangir was superstitious and paid very careful attention to horoscopes and astrology, and his memoirs are full of references to auspicious events.Fatima Quraishi (MET) -- source link
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