S8 Notes on Indian Currencies. [no. 1, new series, 



Leyden, frequent mention is also made of money. 

 The memoirs commence with Baber becoming king 

 of Fergana, near Bokhara and Samercand in Tartary. 



At page 28, speaking of his uncle Sultan Mahomed Mirza, he 

 says, " He was well versed in calculation, and not a single dirhem 

 " or dinar of his revenues was expended without his knowledge." 

 The Translator adds, " the former is now of the value of 5J, and 

 " the latter of about 9 shillings." 



At page 61, mention is made of a " 1,000 tumans of silver," to 

 which Mr. Leyden has appended this note, " It is extremely difficult 

 " to fix the value of money in remote periods. The Tuman in 

 " Dalla Valle's time (1617) was 10 Zecchins (Voyages vol. IV. p 

 " 357). Mendelshoe soon after values the Zecchin at 8J or 9 

 " rupees ; which would make the Tuman of that day worth 9 or 

 " £10 sterling. In Chardin's time, the tuman was equal to 45 livres, 

 " and Tavernier makes it equal to 46 livres, 1 denier and or ac- 

 " cording to his English Translator at the then par of exchange of 

 " 4s. 6d. for the French crown, £3 9s. and a fraction. Thelivre it 

 " will be remembered like the tuman has been sinking in value. 

 " Fryer (Travels p. 222) makes the Tuman £3 and a noble. 

 " It was lately worth an English guinea and from incessant tam- 

 " pering with the coin is now worth little more than 15 shillings. 

 " As the decline has been constant, it was probably in Baber's time 

 " worth more than the highest of these sums." 



" The Shahrukki was a silver coin of the value of lOd. or 11c?. 

 " English, 2| shahrukkis being equal to a rupee in Akbar's time." 



" The Tang or Tenki was a small silver coin of which in Men- 

 " delshoe's time 14, 15 or 16 went to a pagoda. It was of the value 

 " of about 5d. and was formerly more. It has now declined to 

 " about a \d. It seems to have been £ of a dirhem. The Dam 

 " was an Indian copper coin, ^ of a rupee." 



At page 80, in his memoirs of the transactions of the year 1499, 

 ^ it is written " he did not give any one a single dang" 

 probably the same as Tang. Also " not a fils from 

 any other quarter reached him." Fils is explained to be a small 

 copper coin. 



