40 



Notes on Indian Currencies. 



[NO. 1, NEW SERIES, 



In the Ayeen Akbeery by Abul Fazl, translated by Mr. Gladwin, 



very detailed accounts are to be found of the state 

 1556-1605 A. D. , . , , . . k . , , 



of the mints and the coinage m Akbar s reign. 



That the officers of the Mint were 

 "1. A Derogah (or superintendent.) 

 " 2. Shroff (assay master.) 



" In Persia are 10 degrees of fineness called Dehees, in Hindostan 12 degrees 

 f* called Barah Bannees. Formerly the old ' hun' a gold coin current in the 

 " Deccan was 10 bannees, Akbar made it 8§. 



" 3. Aameen — a disinterested party to see that nobody acts 

 " dishonestly. 



" 4. Mushreff — to write the waste book. 



" 5. Merchant — to buy gold and silver. 



" 6. Treasurer — to watch over the stock of profit. 



" 7. Weighman. 



" 8. Melter of metal before it is refined. 



" 9. Plate-maker. 



" 10. Melter of refined metal. 



"11. Zerrab — who cuts metal into size of coin. 



" 12. Seal engraver. 



" 18. Sickchy — places the round piece of metal between two 

 " dies, and by strength of hammer both sides are stamped. 



" 14. Subbak — makes refined silver into ingots. 



"15. Koorskoob — having heated refined silver, hammers till 

 " it has lost all smell of lead. 



" 16. Chashneegeer — assays the refined silver. 



"17 and 18. Employed in recovering precious metals from 

 drosses. 



"19. Pykar — brings drosses and litharge from city goldsmiths 

 " to be melted. 



" 20. Neecheweewala — brings old silver coins to be melted. 

 " 21. Khakshu — rents the sweepings of the mint from Go- 

 " vernment at 12J rupees per mensem. 



About the 36th year of his reign, Akbar turned his attention to 

 the coinage, restored the standard, and directed that all species of 

 coins though they might be received by the Collectors of his re- 



