Chapter III: Coinage of the Sultans of Madura or Ma’bar

When Muḥammad bin Tug̱ẖlaq formed the most southern districts of his kingdom into a province, which he named Ma’bar, he seems to have struck certain types of billon and copper specially for circulation there. In 1334 (A.H. 735) the governor, Jalālu-d-dīn Aḥsan Shāh, proclaimed his independence, and he and his eight successors minted coins of copper and billon[57] in their capital, Madura, until they were subjugated by the king of Vijayanagar in 1371 (A.H. 773). The last coin of ’Alāu-d-dīn Sikandar Shāh is, however, dated A.H. 779. These coins, which are of little interest, follow two types of the Dehlī coinage, one of which has the sultan’s name in a circle with the date in Arabic in the surrounding margin; the other has the title, “_The most mighty Sultan_,” on the reverse, and the sultan’s name on the obverse (Pl. IX, 8). The calligraphy is of a southern type and this alone distinguishes these coins from Dehlī issues.

[57] Two gold coins are also known of these kings; one is in the British Museum.