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The Coin Galleries: Assam

The Ahom Kingdom was founded in the 13th century by migrants from northeastern Burma who conquered the old kingdom of Kamarupa. The kingdom was able to withstand invasions from the Bengal sultanate and even the Mughal empire, although the king was forced to pay some tribute and Aurangzeb even briefly issued coins in Assam. Eventually, the kingdom was defeated by invading Burmese armies in 1821-22. At that point, the British stepped in and made Assam a British protectorate in 1825.

The earliest coins from the Ahom kingdom date from the 15th century. Originally, the coins were round, but in the 16th century the shape of the coins was made octagonal, supposedly because the Yogini Tantra mentions that Kamarupa is eight-sided. The octagonal shape and the long series makes these coins highly popular with collectors.

Gadahara Simha (1681-1696)

Gadahara Simha (Siu-pat-pha), Silver rupee, undated
Weight: 11.44 gm. Diameter: 22 mm Die axis: 5 o'clock
Four-line Ahom legend: kao boi / pha leng / don heu / ciu
     lion right below, bird walking right at right, another bird standing at left /
Four-line Ahom legend: chao siu / pat-pha pi / n khun lak / ni rai-san
Reference: Rhodes and Bose E4.1
Rudra Simha (1696-1714)

Rudra Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1622 (= 1700 CE)
Weight: 11.15 gm. Diameter: 22 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri srimat / swarga deva rudra / simhasya
     sa / ke 1622
, lion right below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri ha / ra gauri pa / dambuja madhu / karasya
Reference: MNI 2464 var, KM 40
The Ahom coins were dated in the Saka era.

Rudra Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1625 (= 1703 CE)
Weight: 11.30 gm. Diameter: 22 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri srimat / swarga deva rudra / simhasya
     sa / ke 1625
, lion right below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri ha / ra gauri pa / dambuja madhu / karasya
Reference: MNI 2464 var, KM 40
Siva Simha (1714-1744)

Siva Simha with Queen Sarvveshwari, Silver half rupee, year 29 (= 1743 CE)
Weight: 5.63 gm. Diameter: 17 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri si / va simha na / reswara, lion right below /
Four-line Assamese legend: tadvalla / bha sri sarvve / svari devinam / 29
Reference: MNI ---, KM 110
Several Ahom kings issued coins naming their queens.
Pramatta Simha (1744-1751)

Pramatta Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1672 (= 1750 CE)
Weight: 11.26 gm. Diameter: 24 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva pramatta / simha nripasya /
      sake 1672
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana / kamala madhu / karasya
Reference: MNI 2474 var, KM 122
The production of coinage in Assam must have been quite large (speaking to a brisk trade) because there are multiple dies for coins from the same year. This and the next coin were struck in the same year, but the dies are different. Note the full rosette at the top right hand corner of the reverse on this coin; the next coin has only a half rosette.

Pramatta Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1672 (= 1750 CE)
Weight: 11.23 gm. Diameter: 24 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva pramatta / simha nripasya /
      sake 1672
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana / kamala madhu / karasya
Reference: MNI 2474 var, KM 122
Rajeshwar Simha (1751-1769)

Rajeshwar Simha, Gold Mohur, S. 1674 (= 1752 CE)
Weight: 11.28 gm. Diameter: 22 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri rajeshva / ra simha nripasya /
      sake 1674
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ka / mala makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: Rhodes & Bose O3.1

Rajeshwar Simha, Gold Mohur, S. 1690 (= 1768 CE)
Weight: 11.28 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri rajeshva / ra simha nripasya /
      sake 1690
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ka / mala makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: Rhodes & Bose O13.1
Gaurinatha Simha (1780-1795)

Gaurinatha Simha, Gold mohur, S. 1705 (= 1783 CE)
Weight: 11.25 gm. Diameter: 25 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri gaurina / tha simha nripasya /
      sake 1705
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ra / binda makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: Rhodes & Bose R3.1

Gaurinatha Simha, Gold mohur, S. 1706 (= 1784 CE)
Weight: 11.29 gm. Diameter: 24 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri gaurina / tha simha nripasya /
      sake 1706
, lion left below, year 5 to left of lion /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ra / binda makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: Rhodes & Bose R4.1

Gaurinatha Simha, Gold half mohur, undated
Weight: 5.71 gm. Diameter: 16 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri gau / rinatha si / mha nripasya
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri ha / ra gauri pa / da parasya /
Reference: Rhodes & Bose R16.1

Gaurinatha Simha, Gold one-eighth mohur, undated
Weight: 1.43 gm. Diameter: 12 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Two-line Assamese legend: sri sri gau / rinatha
Two-line Assamese legend: simha / nripasya/i>
Reference: Rhodes & Bose R27.1

Gaurinatha Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1705 (= 1783 CE)
Weight: 11.30 gm. Diameter: 24 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri gaurina / tha simha nripasya /
      sake 1705
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ra / binda makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: MNI 2487, KM 215

Gaurinatha Simha, Silver rupee, S. 1716 (= 1794 CE)
Weight: 11.03 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri gaurina / tha simha nripasya /
      sake 1716
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri hara / gauri charana ka / mala makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: MNI 2487, KM 215
This coin, with its slightly cruder style, was probably minted in Guwahati or Jorhat, not in the capital of Rangpur. Gaurinatha Simha was forced to flee the capital in 1787 in the face of rebellion and lost control of the main mint. Note also the slight difference in the reverse legend ... the word kamala has replaced rabinda.

Gaurinatha Simha, Silver half rupee, undated
Weight: 5.67 gm. Diameter: 17 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri gau / rinatha si / mha nripasya /
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri ha / ra gauri pa / da parasya
Reference: MNI 2489, KM 204
Brajanatha Simha (1818-19)

Brajanatha Simha, Gold Mohur, S. 1739 (= 1818 CE)
Weight: 11.35 gm. Diameter: 23 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri swarga / deva sri brajana / tha simha nripasya /
      sake 1739
, lion left below /
Four-line Assamese legend: sri sri radha / krishna charana ka / mala makaranda / madhu karasya
Reference: Rhodes & Bose T1.1
Chandrakanta Simha (1819-21)

Chandrakanta Simha, Gold one-sixteenth mohur, undated
Weight: 0.75 gm. Diameter: 9 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Two-line Assamese legend: sri cha / ndrakanta
Two-line Assamese legend: simha na / rendrasya/i>
Reference: Rhodes & Bose U5.1
Sarvvananda Simha (1793-95)

Sarvvananda Simha, Gold quarter mohur, S. 1716 (= 1794 CE)
Weight: 2.84 gm. Diameter: 14 mm Die axis: 6 o'clock
Three-line Assamese legend: sri sri sa / rvvananda si / mha nripasya
Two-line Assamese legend: sake / 1716 /
Reference: Rhodes & Bose X3.1
Sarvvananda Simha was one of the two rebel kings who had forced Gaurinatha Simha to flee from his capital of Rangpur.
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