Muhammad Shah bin Firuz – 22nd Sultan of Delhi – Tughlaq Dynasty Hazrat Delhi Mint 5/6 Tanka Billon Rare Coin

Delhi Sultanate, Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Shah bin Firuz, (r. 1390-1394 CE), Denomination: 5/6 Tanka, Composition: Billon (Copper-Silver), Weight: 8.57 grams, Diameter: 17.22 mm, Mint: Hazrat Delhi, mint name not inscribed, Date: AH 794 (1391–1392 CE), Reference: G&G #D588, Grade: Extra Fine, Rarity: Very Rare.

Obverse: Arabic inscription reads “Al-Khalifa Abu Abd Allah Khulidat Khilafatuhu”, followed by the date AH 794, invoking the continued caliphate.

Reverse: Persian inscription “Muhammad Shah Firuz Shah Sultani” is arranged vertically, read from the bottom upwards.

Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Shah bin Firuz, also known as Muhammad Shah III, was the 22nd Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate and ruled from 1390 to 1394 CE. He was a son of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq and inherited a politically unstable kingdom. His accession was challenged by his uncle Abu Bakr Shah, leading to a struggle for control of Delhi. In 1390, Muhammad Shah marched against Abu Bakr and ultimately defeated him, securing the throne. Abu Bakr was subsequently imprisoned at Meerut, where he died. Muhammad Shah’s short reign reflected the growing political instability of the later Tughlaq dynasty.

Coinage Note: This rare 5/6 Tanka of Muhammad Shah bin Firuz was struck at the Hazrat Delhi Mint in AH 794, although the mint name is not inscribed on the coin. The billon composition combines copper and silver. Its distinctive vertical Persian reverse legend and Arabic obverse formula make it an important example of late Tughlaq coinage. The issue is recorded as G&G #D588 and is particularly notable in Extra Fine condition.