Mughal ; Jahangir (AH 1014-1037, 1605-1627 AD), Silver Sawai Rupee (25% Heavy weight) (Sawai = One and a quarter), Weight : 14.26 gms, Lahore Mint (fully visible at bottom on rev at 5’o clock), AH 1019, RY 5, Ta Falak’ Couplet ; Extremely Rare specimen.
The ‘Ta Falak’ couplet on the coin reads as:
بدهر باد روان تا فلک بود در دور
بنام شاه جهانگیر سکه لاهور
Ba-dahr Bad Rawan Ta Falak Bud Dar Daur
Ba-naam-i-Shah Jahangir, Sikka-i-Lahore
(In the world so long the heavens revolve may current be
in the name of Shah Jahangir, the money of Lahore).
The heavy weight coins with the ‘Ta Falak’ couplet were struck from Lahore only during the fourth, fifth and sixth regnal years of Jahangir hence considered rare. As they were 25% higher weight than the prevailing normal Rupee of approx 11.4g, they are also known as ‘Sawai’ (sawa meaning one-fourth). Jahangir had experimented with the coin weights in the initial years of his rule with heavy weight coins minted known as the Jahangiri (20% overweight) and Sawai (25% over weight).
