e-mail: thaiprivatehand@gmail.com

              This collection contains hightly sought-after and extremely valuable collection due to rarity of Indian coinage. Two series of Mohurs the eariest series a complete set of Jahangir's Self Portrait and later series Zodiacal Sign with some varieties of each sign on www.thaiprivatehand.com. From the year 2013, ten years long displayed with a blank-page and an e-mail address for contact us, no any collector's information !

              Then, I faced a lot of questions about Mughal Portrait and Zodiacal Sign Mohurs ..... not authentic coins ..... forgery copy from genuine coins ..... imitate replicas ..... electrotypes from British Museum ..... only images on display no such genuine coins ..... where from these images ..... who is the collector ?

              Again, provides well-lit photographic with high-resolution images for facilitate comparison to whom suspect them, may copy these images, pay close attention, looking for evident of the striking process, examined in detail of the obverse and reverse iconography, inscriptions and both the rims and coin's edge. Then, compare them with the known authentic specimens or images housed in well-known collections or museums, detecting physical identity and die matching. This is a preliminary visual detection with naked eye from photographic images.

              Photographic images can provide valuable clue, they can't definitely prove authenticity. For authentication, coins should be confirmed by other tests. Check the weight and size of the coin, microscopic evaluations to determine surface compositions and minting techniques, spectrometry to analyze the elemental composition of the coin's metal, and employ X-ray imaging to analyze the coin's structure and detect hidden defects and abnormality.

              Jahangir's coins are known for varius poetic couplets designs and for superb calligraphy. Mughal art at its zenith during Jahangir period. Jahangir was taking keen interest in his coins (Jahangirnama). His portrait, zodiac and beutiful poetic couplet coins are masterpieces of Mughal Numismatics.

              The Mughal coinage are the certainly unique among all Islamic monetary systems. Islam prohibits displaying the images or idols of human or animals. As soon as his son Shah Jahan came to throne, he imposed a death penalty for the use of portrait and zodiac coins as well as the coin struck in the name of his mother Nur Jahan and ordered that they should be returned to the royal mint and melted.

              All Akbar's and Jahangir's gold coins on this website are another authentic mohurs, survived as a miracle kept in Thai Private Hands Collection, which never exposed to public before 2013.

              Many gold coins of this collection matched the specimens housed in the American Numismatic Society, New York. British Museum, London. Kunsthistorisched Museum, Vienna. Bode Museum, Berlin. Biblotheque Nationale de France, Paris. National Museum New Delhi, India.

              I am the third generation whose possess them, really don't know wherefrom.

              The previous owner used to said to me that, this collection has been meticuliously created over many years with some unique consideration, gathered only highly detailed workmanship authentic items. Avoid crude pieces poorly crafted Kushan and Gupta gold coins. Bought from Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahor. Some of which are truly pinnacles of rarity in Indian Numismatics. At that time, before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, many finds in these areas passed through the hands of Rawalpindi goldsmiths, who maid copies using the genuine piece as a Master prototype, impress on clay mold casting counterfeit silver and gold coins, that were sold into the market along with the genuine items. Refer to www.forgerynetwork.com, those casting imitative coins are poor casting replica, bears imperfections, has casting flaws, and pitted surface.

              Cast fakes often look "soapy" or "mushy", with rounded edges on the letters and figures because the molten metal didn't fill the tiny crevices of a mold perfectly. The image and lettering lack clarity, surface are grainy or pitted, some may even have depressions caused by trapped gas bubbles. Cast coin has a slightly smaller diameter because of molten metal will shrink as it cools. The filing necessary to remove excess metal, sometimes file marks can be seen on the edge.

              Some of those casting imitative zodiac mohur images are showing below. (Heritage Auctions Europe, auction 70 25-29 May 2021.)

              The valuable coins, mostly put in slabs or protective-slabs in which coin are encased after they are graded. For me, I prefered two-pocket plastic flips, keep the coin in one pocket, a label in the second pocket identifying the coin, put all in a portable case that fit well in a safe deposit box at the bank.

              Today all originally Mughal figure mohurs of Akbar, portrait and zodiacal sign mohurs of Jahangir are extremely rare and desirable, very difficult finding an original. Because of their tremendous popularity, they were extensively imitated, copied and restruck ever since they were recalled from circulation. If one does not find the die similarity, one should treat them with caution.

                  Mr. P. Sinsethakul

                         10 April 2023.
              Thai Private Hands Collection.

Address:
                  House number 3,
                  Moo 2, Wangdaeng village,
                  Mueng Gaen Municipality,
                  Amphur Maetaeng,
                  Chiengmai Province,
                  Zip code: 50150
                  Country: Thailand.

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Citation
Raven, E.M. (2014).
Messing Up the System: Gupta Gold Coin Forgeries.
South Asian Archaeology And Art, 283-295.

Retrived from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3249851

Notes
22. Shailendra Bhandare (Asmolean Museum Oxford) wrote me that 'most coins from this "Thai" source are dubious - they appear to be a melange of specimens that are made either from old electrotype replicas supplied by BM, or images available from the net, or some could be electrotypes themselves, or good imitations ! However, this can be verified only from physical re-verification.' (Mail message to Raven, 8.7.2013 ).

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Heritage Auctions Europe.
Auction 70 25-29 May 2021.

Complete set of imitative Jahangir's zodiac gold mohurs.

Rearrange obverse and reverse images of Heritage Auctions Europe, auction 70, clockwise for easy detection.