1999.] W. Irvine — Couplet on Coins. 55 



United States,* 5 b. to 8 b. S. West Australia, 9 b. F, 



Victoria, 10 b. F. Zululand, 2 b.F. 



Mr. T. H. Holland proposed : — 



" Tbat Mr. Oldham's paper as read at tlie meeting should be laid 

 before the Council for any further action that they consider necessary." 



Tlie proposal was seconded by Major D. Prain, I.M.S., and carried 

 by eighteen votes agaiast one. 



2. Muhammad Shah (17J9-1748), Co2iplet on Coins.— By W. Irvine, 

 I.C.S. (retired). 



In bis article on " Couplets on Coins of kings after the time of 

 Jahauglr," Journal, Vol. LVII (1888), Part I, p. 29, the late Mr. C. J. 

 Rodgers gives a coin from the Surat mint with the couplet : — 



" The King of the Age, Muhammad Shah. 

 " Struck coin in the world by God's grace." 



Having prefaced his remarks by saying " Muhammad Shah never 

 used any couplets," he adds, after mentioning the existence of the above 

 coin, " I do not think this is a coin of Muhammad Shab, but of some 

 rebel king. Tbe style is not that of Muhammad Shah." 



This type of Muhammad Shah's coinage must be excessively rare ; 

 for it is not mentioned in the British Museum, the Indian Museum, or 

 the Lahore catalogue. But Mr. Rodgers was surely somewhat rash in 

 rejecting it as not one of Muhammad Shah's coins. I am certain that, 

 if he bad seen a passage in the Mimt-i-Ahmadl , a history of Gujarat, 

 he would have admitted the coin to be one issued, for a short time at 

 any rate, in that particular reigu. Appai'ently it was produced at the 

 one mint of Siirat (in suhah Gujarat), and even there was almost imme- 

 diately suppressed. 



The Mirnt-i-Ahmadi, B. Museum, Add. MSS. No. 6580, fol. 1676. 

 referring to the accession of Muhammad Shah states that a Hasbu-l- 

 hukm [a formal communication issued by the icazir, and so named from 

 its opening words "According to the order"] came to Nahar Khan, 



* 1. Eastern time; Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massacliusetts, Con- 

 necticnfc, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, 

 N, Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, Florida; 5 h. S. 



2. Central time, Minnisota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, 

 Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana ; 

 6h. S. 



3. Mountain time ; Montana, Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah, Colorado, 

 Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas ; 7 h. S. 



4. Pacific time, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California ; 8 Ii, ,S. 



