Hi, I have these two (Indian?Mughal?) dump copper coins which I've been unable to identify. The larger (on the left in the top image/right in the bottom image) weighs 20.3g and the smaller one, 16.9g. Can anyone provide any suggestions? I've looked through Krause but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack (what's the numismatic equivalent of snowblind?). I can read the word 'Shah' on the larger coin. Thanks. ScotsJohnR
Probably your best answer is to post pics on Zeno.ru - they seem to have the best experts on Asian coins. You may be able to see similar coins on there, but it is a difficult search. @coin_nut may be able to help.
I have had a look and do not recognize those Indian AE dumps. The 20.3 grams is about right for a Dam, and some of them can be as light as the 16. Best I can advise is to browse through Mughal Dams on zeno.ru.
Thanks for your helpful answer. I’ll look on Zeno.ru. I found a potential match on Numista. It’s similar but different. I’m not experienced enough to know if the differences are significant enough to rule out a match. Any thoughts? Thanks, scotsjohnr
There are some similarities, for sure. Also, there are people who can read those esoteric scripts and languages. Every letter, word, character means something. Many of the old Indian coins have Arabic or Persian script on them. Then there is the Hindi and Urdu, Brahmi, Kutchi, and so on. Numerals can vary over the centuries also. It is a fascinating field, and where most of my numismatic interest lies. I see I now have 168 coins from the Mughal Empire, most of them AE Dams or AR Rupees.