This
week’s highlight from the May Collectors Choice Online (CCO) auction is a Shah
Jahan Mohur dated AH1038 Year 2 (1628/9) and graded MS-62 by NGC. Shah Jahan ruled from 1628-58 and is
considered one of the greatest Mughal emperors of the Timur family. The period of
Jahan’s reign is considered the golden age of Mughal architecture. He was a proponent of architecture and during
his reign he built many monuments. When
his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died on June 17, 1631, while giving birth to
their 14th child, Gauhara Begum, Jahan was stricken with grief, a
fact that was documented by the imperial court.
These documents would later be used to illustrate his love for his wife
and the inspiration for her mausoleum: the Taj Mahal. It was later in 1631 that Jahan commissioned
the building of the Taj Mahal, calling to his aid architects from around the
world. Construction began in 1632 and
took more than 20 year to complete.
Composed of magnificent white marble and combining traditional Persian
and Mughal architectures, it is now considered one of the wonders of the modern
world and receives more than 7 million visitors a year. This inspirational story shows to what
lengths one will go to show and profess love.
This
and other rare and interesting items will be offered in our May CCO auction. We
are always accepting consignments for future auctions, with our current focus
on Chinese and other Asian coins and currency for our August 2017 Hong Kong
Showcase Auction and world and ancient coins and world paper money for our
August 2017 ANA Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in
consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a
single rarity) contact one of our consignment directors.
