Awadh, Ghazi ud-din Haider as Nawab (AH 1229–1234 / AD 1814–1819), Silver ¼ Rupee, bearing the mint name Muhammadabad Banaras, issued in the name of Shah Alam II, frozen RY 26, “Hami-yi Din” couplet. Wt: 2.70 g, Dia: 14.06 mm. (MK # 7.02, p. 101). Rare.

Obv: Persian couplet, “Sikka zad bar haft kishwar saya-yi fazl-i Ilah / Hami-yi din-i Muhammad Shah Alam Badshah.”

Rev: Persian legend, “Zarb Muhammadabad Banaras, sanah 26 julus maimanat manus.”

Historical Note

Ghazi ud-din Haider succeeded his father, Saadat Ali Khan II, in 1814 as Nawab-Wazir of Awadh. During this first phase of his reign, he maintained the traditional recognition of Mughal supremacy, although Awadh’s government operated independently of Delhi and under substantial British influence. His coinage continued to bear the name of Shah Alam II, preserving the established imperial formula even after that emperor’s death.

The regnal year 26 is a frozen date inherited from Shah Alam II’s coinage, rather than the twenty-sixth year of Ghazi ud-din Haider’s reign. Similarly, the traditional mint name Muhammadabad Banaras was retained on issues attributed to Lucknow. These features demonstrate the continuity of Mughal monetary conventions under the Nawabs of Awadh. In 1819, with British encouragement, Ghazi ud-din Haider assumed the title of King of Awadh, formally abandoning his dynasty’s nominal subordination to the Mughal emperor. This quarter rupee therefore belongs to the final Nawabi phase, before Awadh proclaimed its own kingship and developed a distinct royal coinage. Rare.