Bengal Presidency INO Shah Alam II Copper 1 Pice (Paisa) Bengal Historical Coin

Bengal Presidency (British East India Company), INO Shah Alam II, Period: 1815–1829 CE, Denomination: 1 Pice, Metal: Copper, Weight: 6.17 grams, Diameter: 25.1 mm, Reference: KM #27, About Very Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: Persian legend “Sana Julus 37 Shah Alam Badshah” indicating the 37th regnal year of the emperor.

Reverse: Plain field / standard East India Company style issue (no major central device, typical of Bengal Presidency copper coinage).

This copper 1 Pice coin was issued under the authority of the East India Company in the name of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II during the early 19th century. Even though the Mughal Empire had declined politically, the Company continued to strike coins in the emperor’s name to maintain legitimacy among local populations. The “Julus 37” inscription refers to the regnal year of Shah Alam II, a common dating system used in Indo-Islamic coinage. These coins circulated widely across Bengal and surrounding regions, forming part of the early standardized copper currency system under British administration. Today, such pieces are valued for their transitional historical significance—bridging Mughal sovereignty and British colonial monetary control.

This type represents a frozen regnal year issue, meaning the same regnal year (37) continued to be struck across multiple years, a common practice in Bengal Presidency coinage.