Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar Mughal Empire Copper AE Dam Urdu Zafar Qarin Mint Alf Type

Mughal Empire, Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar, (AH 963–1014 / 1556–1605 CE), Denomination: AE Dam (Falus), Composition: Copper, Weight: 20.05 grams, Diameter: 21.52 mm, Mint: Urdu Zafar Qarin (Camp issue), Issue Year: Alf (AH 1000), Reference: KM#34.1, Liddle Type C-8, About Very Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: “Falus Zarb Alf” in bold Persian calligraphy.

Reverse: “Urdu Zafar Qarin” legend, indicating the imperial camp mint.

This copper Dam was struck during Emperor Akbar’s Sindh campaigns, when Mughal forces were operating on the empire’s western frontier. To ensure uninterrupted military logistics, Akbar introduced mobile mints known as “Urdu Zafar Qarin,” which travelled with the imperial camp. These temporary field mints produced coins on the spot for soldiers’ wages, supplies, and local transactions. The Alf (1000) inscription marks Akbar’s ideological and chronological reform linked to the completion of one thousand lunar years of Islam, symbolizing renewal and imperial authority. Unlike regular city issues, such camp-mint coins were produced rapidly and in limited numbers, prioritizing function over refinement. The substantial weight of 20.05 grams confirms it as a full-value Dam, intended for serious circulation. Today, this coin stands as a rare and tangible witness to Mughal wartime administration and Akbar’s innovative governance.