1893.] E. Thurston — History of the East India Company Coinage. 55 
receipts, debased the coin to 24 and 32 chauwals. The mint records 
•were burnt by Balwant Singh, and no records were kept in the mint 
until the 17th year of the reign of Shah ’Alam (1776). The farmers 
carried away their books in order tp conceal the profits they reaped 
from debasing the coins. The system of farming out the mints, first 
adopted by Ratan Chand, Diwan to Farrukhsiyar, at length intro- 
duced the custom of changing the value of the rupee every year. 
Those who had payments to make were consequently obliged to carry 
their old rupees to the mint to have them re-coined into sikkas, tlio 
name given to the rupees of the current year. Previous to the 10th year 
of the reign of Shah ’Alam (1769), the new coined sikka rupee, after 
circulating twelve months, fell 3 per cent., and at the expiration of two 
years 2 per cent, more, at which value it continued under the denomi- 
nation ‘ sanwat.’ On the 6th August, 1771, this usage was abolished 
by the British Government, who resolved that the sikkas coined in the 
10th year of the reign should be considered as sanwats, and that those 
coined in the 11th and all subsequent years should pass in payment at 
the same value as the sikkas of the current year. 
From the beginning of the 4th to the end of the 6th and last year 
(1754) of Ahmad Shah the mint was under the charge of A'gha Asad 
Beg, Kiladar or Governor of the Fort of Cliunar. The assay of the 
rupees was from 26 to 32 chauwals. 
At the commencement of the reign of ’Alamgfr II (1754) the mint 
fell to the Vizier Shuja’ud-daulah. During the 1st and 2nd years 
the assay of the rupees was from 26 to 28 chauwals. In the 3rd year 
Shuja’ud-daulah made over the mint to his brother-in-law, Mirza ’All 
Klmn, who farmed it to Subhaw Chand. The assay of the rupees was 
from 24 to 32 chauwals. In the 4th year the mint was farmed to the 
agent of an eminent Benares banker, and the rupees were debased to 
64 chauwals and, for the first time, half a rati in weight. Raja Balwant 
Singh refused to receive them into his treasury. In the 5th year the 
rupees were raised to their proper weight of 9 mashas, 7 ratis (or 632 
chauwals), but continued at the debased standard of 40 and 48 chauwals. 
In the 6th and last year of the reign the rupees were debased to 100 
535 95 
chauwals assay (i. e. rxx silver and alloy) and half a rati in weight. 
OoU DtJU 
In the 1st year of the reign of Shah ’Alam, Shuja’ud-daulah ap- 
pointed a person on his own part to superintend the coinage, and 
the rupee was restored to its former weight, (9m. 7r.) and to 26 chauwals 
assay. During the 2nd to 8th years the assay remained at 40 chauwals. 
In the latter year (1767) Shuja’ud-daulah, at the recommendation of 
Lord Olive, resolved to reform the coin. The Benares mint was, ac- 
