Sher Shah's Rupiya Silver Coin

Timeline

1. 1540–1545Delhi · DelhiDuring his five-year reign Sher Shah fixed the silver coin's weight at about 178 grains (c. 11.53 grams), naming it rupiya. Uniform fineness and weight facilitated tax collection, military pay, and long-distance trade settlement, forming the monetary core of his administrative and fiscal reforms.
2. 1540–1545North Indian minting system · Northern IndiaIssued alongside the silver rupiya were a gold mohur of about 169 grains and a copper dam. This trimetallic structure was later inherited by the Mughal monetary system, making the rupee the standard unit within the silver-based hierarchy rather than an isolated commemorative coin.
3. 1545–1556Delhi · DelhiAfter Sher Shah's death, Sur successors and the restored Mughal court largely retained the 178-grain silver rupiya. Akbar extended it as the empire's unified silver coin, and this weight standard continued to influence the British Indian rupee, turning a five-year reform into the long-term framework of South Asian currency.