Bengal Sultanate, Rukn-ud-din Barbak (AH 864-879/1459-1474 AD) Khazanah Mint, Silver Nazarana Tanka, AH 864, (Wt: 10.61 grams, Dia: 30.07 mm) (Not listed in G&G ), about extremely fine.

Obv: kalima shahada within circle, mintname 'Khazanah' 864.

Rev: Arabic legends "al-sultān ibn al-sultān rukn al-dunya wal din abü al-mujāhid bärbak shãh al-sultān ibn mahmüd shãh al-sultān".

Bärbak Shah, son of Năsir al-Din Mahmüd Shh, ascended the throne in AH 864 (CE
1459). During his time Bengal Sultānate was a large kingdom and he had a number of military expeditions such as expeditions of Tirhut, Madaran and Kamrup. He was law-abiding competent sultān of Bengal. One major strategic innovation of Barbak Shah was recruiting a large number of Habshis (East Africans) in his army and among them about eight thousand were employed, and on high posts 24. These Habshis were happy and obedient during reign of Barbak Shah but revolted sometime after his death. Barbak Shah was succeeded by his son Shams al-Din Yusuf Shãh. 

This Nazarana tanka is unlisted in Goron and Goenka’s The Coins of the Indian Sultanates. An example of the type is subsequently illustrated on page 175 of Md. Shariful Islam and Mohammad Abdur Rahim’s The Sultanate Period Coins of Bengal.

Beautifully preserved, this specimen displays a warm golden hue and boldly struck, high-relief detail. Its surfaces are free from chop marks and test marks, allowing the design to retain its full visual appeal. A very rare and distinguished coin, worthy of an important collection. Extremely Rare.