
Inscriptions on both sides Sikka zad dar jahan chu badr munir shah aurangzeb // Manus memanat sana julus zarb gulkunda. Dated to RY 13 (1670). 22mm, 11.31 grams. Gulkanda mint. Krause-300.28.
Gulkanda (better known as Golconda) is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Because of the vicinity of diamond mines, especially Kollur Mine, Golconda flourished as a trade center of large diamonds known as Golconda Diamonds. Golconda fort is currently abandoned and in ruins.
Aurangzeb (1618–1707) was the sixth Mughal emperor of India, ruling from 1658 to 1707. The son of Shah Jahan, he ascended the throne after a bitter struggle with his brothers. A devout and conservative ruler, he expanded the Mughal Empire to its greatest territorial extent, annexing the Deccan and parts of South India. However, his policies, including religious intolerance, heavy taxation, and prolonged military campaigns, led to widespread unrest and resistance, notably from the Marathas and Sikhs. His reign marked both the height and the beginning of the decline of the Mughal Empire, which weakened due to internal strife and financial strain. He died in 1707, leaving behind an empire struggling with instability.