India - Mughal Empire. MUGHAL: Shah Jahan I, 1628-1658, AV mohur, Surat, year 2, KM-255.6, month of Azar, from the fabled Akola hoard, superb bold razor-sharp strike, the finest we have seen, NGC graded MS65. In 1974, a hoard of gold coins was discovered along the riverbank near the city of Akola. It is believed the mohurs represented military pay sent from the mint at Surat to Mughal troops fighting near Golkonda. As the story goes, the courier rested with the troops at night in the dry riverbed. Suddenly premature monsoon rains filled the area and swept away the caravan - and with it the whole gold mintage of the Surat mint for that year. Perhaps this tale was invented to conceal what really had happened, most likely either loss or theft or some other egregious activity.
