Asaf-ud-Daula Najibabad mint Nawab of Awadh State 1775-1797 CE Copper 1 Paisa INO Shah Alam II

Nawab of Awadh State, Asaf-ud-Daula, r.  AH 1189-1212/1775-1797 CE, Najibabad mint, Denomination: 1 Paisa, Composition: Copper, AH 1212/1797 CE, 29 RY, In the name of Shah Alam II, Weight: 18.24 grams, Diameter: 21.75 mm, Obv: badshah ghazi sana 29, Rev: zarb najibabad and year 1212 AH, Reference: KM # 111, about very fine, very scarce.

Asaf-ud-Daula (r. 1775–1797 CE), the fourth Nawab of Awadh, ruled during a period of political dependency on the Mughal court and increasing British influence. He governed in the name of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, whose name continued to appear on Awadh coinage to legitimize authority. Asaf-ud-Daula is best remembered for shifting the capital to Lucknow and patronizing grand architecture such as the Bara Imambara, while maintaining Awadh’s fiscal autonomy through revenue and coinage reforms.

Najibabad, located near the Rohilkhand region, held strategic importance as a frontier mint town between Awadh and Rohilla territories. During 1775–1797, Najibabad functioned as a subsidiary mint under Awadh’s control, primarily serving regional circulation and revenue payments, especially after Awadh’s expanding administrative reach.

The copper paisa bears the Awadh fish symbol, an emblem of prosperity and royal identity, alongside Mughal titulature, reflecting Awadh’s dual political stance—practically independent yet symbolically loyal to the Mughal emperor.