Strike Two: Afterlife of Bahmani Coinage

Abstract

This article discusses an enigmatic group of counterstruck Bahmani coins found in the Deccan. These coins are generally worn almost smooth, probably deliberately, and bear one or both of two counterstamps: a round stamp and a square stamp reading “Amir Shah”. We discuss the metrology of these counterstruck coins, showing that they have undergone a deliberate weight reduction. We also review various hypotheses for their origin, finding no convincing evidence that they were counterstruck by the Barid Shahs, as sometimes claimed.