208 Exliihition of coins and of a rare MS. [Nov. 



The third coin was a postlmmous gold coin, containing the name of 

 Ahmad Shah of Dihli. The obverse, as usual in the coinage of the 18th 

 century, forms a distich (metre, lon^ Ramal) — 



gl^j 15 ^U ^jt jtjjj j*->j*«^J cj ^^ » J^^o^J ^'^^. ^y^^- j^^'i j\ <^-^ ^^ 



The Almighty who has no equal gave Ahmad Shah the order to coin silver and gold 

 from the Fish [upon which the earth stands] to the Moon. 



Eeveese — I F *■*"**» t/'yl^'^-W-ji'* (^^^ oiiis^f j\^ i^j^ 



struck at the capital [Shahjahanabad], in the 14th year of the auspicious accession. 

 The coin is not rare, but curious, inasmuch as it was struck when Ahmad 

 Shah was no longer reigning emperor. 



Ahmad Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, succeeded his father on the 

 2nd Jumada I, 1161, or 19th April, 1748* ; he was deposed by 'Imad ul- 

 Mulk in the end of Jumada II, 1167, or beginning of 1754 ; was blinded 

 b}^ him on 10th Sha'ban, 1167, or 2nd June, 1754; and died in prison on 

 2nd Sha'ban, 1188, or 25th May, 1774. Ahmad Shah, therefore, only 

 reigned six years. 



The 14th year, therefore, would commence on the 2nd Jumada II, 

 1174; and the 11th year, which some coins have, on the 2nd Jumada 

 II, 1171. But specimens in the possession of Mr. Delmerick have not only 

 the 11th and 14th years on the reverse, but also the years 1170 and 1173 

 respectively on the obverse ; and as the accession of Ahmad Shah Durrani 

 took place in 1160, Nadir Shah having been killed in Jumada I, 1160, the 

 11th and l4th years of the Durrani's reign would correspond to 1170 and 

 1173. It looks, therefore, as if the coinage of Ahmad Shah of Dihli was 

 revived during Ahmad Shah Durrani's stay in India in 1170 and 1173-74, 

 the names of both kings and the month of their accessions being the same. 

 The commencements of their reigns differed by exactly one year. 



In 1170, Ahmad Shall Durrani married the daughter of the late Mu- 

 hammad Shah ; he was, therefore, brother-in-law to the blind Ahmad Shah 

 of Dihli. 



Mr. Blochmann exhibited a Persian MS., belonging to him, containing 

 a ' Collection of Choice Poems.' The MS. is beautifully written and richly 

 ornamented. It was the property of the Prince Khurram [Shahjahan], 

 who at the age of fourteen entered on the fly leaf of the MS. the following 

 remark — 



* In Prinsep's ' Useful Tables' by Thomas, pp. 198 and 199, there are. four mistakes 

 well worth correcting : — 



1026 A. H. commences on 30th Deer. 1616, not 1617. 

 1060 A. H. commences on 25th Deer. 1649, not 1650. 

 1127 A. H. commences on 27th Deer. 1714, not 1715. 

 1161 A. H. commences on 22nd Deer. 1747, not 1748. 



