S6 Notes on Indian Currencies. [no. 1, new series, 
Delhi, to which in a foot note is added, " Ferishta* states that at 
*' this time there was no silver coinage in the Carnatic : and Colo- 
" nel Briggs observes that the same was true to a certain extent 
*' till very^ lately : the common coin v/as the pagoda and there was 
** a small coin called a gold fanam, as low in value as a sixpence." 
Dow in his history, describing the distracted state of the coun- 
try under Mahommed Toglak's rule, ascribes it to a number of rea- 
sons, and amongst others to f^' the king following the Chinese 
" custom of issuing paper upon th'e Emperor's credit for ready 
looc A n " "loney, and to his striking a copper coin which he 
" issued and made current by a decree at an imagi- 
" nary value." He also adds, " that,the merchants made their pay- 
" ments in copper to the poor manufacturers,, at the same time that 
" they themselves received silver and gold for their export. There 
" was also much villainy practised at the mint : for apremiumto those 
" who had the management of it, the merchants had their coin struck 
" considerably below the legal value. But the great source of the 
*' misfortunes consequent upon the debasement of the coin, was the 
" known instability of Government. Afterwards the Emperor to 
*' ease the minds of the people was obliged to call in the copper 
" currency." 
In Ferishta's history of the Deccan, mention is made in many 
places of money, as for instance, in his account of the Bhamenee 
dynasty founded by Zuffir Khan in 1347, he says — " Coins were 
" struck, impressed with his titles of Sultan Alia ad Dien Houssun 
" Raujah Bhamenee." Also at page 17, he adds, "the gold and 
*' silver coins of the Bhamenee Sultans were of square form, and 
" differenrt value, having on one side the creed of testimony,! and 
" the names of the four holy friends. J On the other was the sove- 
" reign title, and year of his reign. The Hindu bankers at the in- 
" stigation of the roies of Beejanuggur and Telingana melting all 
" which fell into their hands that the coins of the infidels might alone 
* Who wrote a history of the Mogul Emperors and some other works at the 
latter end of the 16th Century. 
t There is no God hut God and Mahommed is his Prophet. 
l Mahommed, Ali, Abouhekker and Omar. 
