The Rupee: a Persian numismatic guide
Afsharid rupees struck from the plunder of the Indian campaign of Nader Shah. 2 catalogued examples spanning Afsharid & Zand.
In short
The rupee entered Iranian coinage with Nader Shah: after the sack of Delhi in 1739 the Afsharid mints struck Indian-standard silver rupees of about 11.4 g from captured bullion, briefly making Iran a rupee economy funded by conquest. The Rupee is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 9 CE – 1747 CE. Afsharid rupees struck from the plunder of the Indian campaign of Nader Shah. Examples here are struck in Silver at mints including Kabul, Isfahan.
- Catalogued
- 2
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 9 CE – 1747 CE |
| Eras represented | Afsharid & Zand |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Rupee |
| Mints | Kabul, Isfahan |
| Issuers | Nader Shah Afshar |
| Standard weight | ≈11.4 g silver (Mughal rupee standard) |
| Introduced | After the sack of Delhi, 1739 |
| Busy mints | Mashhad, Herat, Kabul, Qandahar |
| Collecting priority | Full mint name and date on the flan |
Delhi bullion, Iranian dies
Nader's Indian campaign brought back a quantity of precious metal large enough to suspend taxation in Iran for three years. Rather than re-melt it to the local abbasi standard, several mints struck to the familiar Mughal rupee weight, so the coin circulated seamlessly in the newly dependent eastern provinces.
The inscriptions stay firmly Persian in idiom, with couplet legends naming Nader and the mint city, and Kabul, Herat, Qandahar and Mashhad among the busiest workshops.
Collecting Afsharid rupees
Mint and date are everything. Common Mashhad and Herat pieces are readily available in decent grade; Indian-campaign mints and short-reign successors after Nader's assassination in 1747 are far scarcer.
Strike quality varies widely — off-centre dies leaving part of the couplet off the flan are the norm — so a fully legible mint and date is the practical grading target rather than surface perfection.
Afsharid & Zand · 1736 – 1796 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Rupee
- Why did Iran strike rupees?
- Nader Shah financed his coinage with silver and gold taken from Delhi in 1739 and struck part of it to the Indian rupee standard so it would circulate in his eastern territories.
- Are Afsharid rupees rare?
- Mashhad and Herat issues are obtainable; campaign mints, short-lived successors and fully struck, fully legible examples are the scarce end of the series.
- What is a Rupee?
- The Rupee is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 9 CE – 1747 CE. Afsharid rupees struck from the plunder of the Indian campaign of Nader Shah. Examples here are struck in Silver at mints including Kabul, Isfahan.
- How many Rupee pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 2 items, dated 9 CE – 1747 CE, spread across 1 era: Afsharid & Zand.
- Which metals were used for Rupee coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Where were Rupee coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Kabul, Isfahan.