Rafi-ud-Darjat (AH 1131 / 1719 AD), Dar-us-Saltanat Lahore Mint, Silver Rupee, Ahad RY (Year 1), “Ba Hazaran Barkat” couplet. (Wt: 11.48 grams, Dia: 25 mm), (KM # 405.13), Uncirculated.

Obv: Persian couplet “Sikka zad ba Hind ba hazaran barkat, Shahanshah-i-bahr-o-barr Rafi-ud-Darjat” “Rafi-ud-Darjat, emperor of sea and land, struck coin in Hindustan with a thousand blessings.” The flowing inscription is arranged across the field, with sweeping horizontal strokes and small ornamental dot clusters.

Rev: “Sanah Ahad julus maimanat manus” “The first year of the accession associated with prosperity” with “zarb Dar-us-Saltanat Lahore” (“Struck at Lahore, the Seat of Sovereignty”). The mint name and its prestigious epithet occupy the lower portion of the reverse in elegantly interwoven calligraphy.

A grandson of Bahadur Shah I, Rafi-ud-Darjat ascended the Mughal throne in 1719, following Farrukhsiyar’s deposition by the powerful Sayyid brothers. His reign lasted little more than three months, making his coinage a tangible record of one of the empire’s shortest reigns.

The title Dar-us-Saltanat, meaning “Seat of Sovereignty,” lends this Lahore issue particular historical character. Its grand imperial couplet and auspicious accession formula express the authority claimed by the young emperor during a period of intense court rivalry. The present specimen displays boldly raised lettering and an attractive balance of calligraphy, with darker toning around the inscriptions accentuating their relief. The sweeping strokes and finely placed ornamental details give the coin a distinguished visual presence. Very rare in this grade.