Hyderabad: The Centre has resumed the hunt for a 12 kg gold coin which has been missing for almost four decades. Touted as the world’s biggest gold coin, it was last seen in hands of titular Nizam VIII of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah.
Reportedly, he had auctioned the coin at the Swiss Bank. However, India’s CBI couldn’t get hold of the gold coin that was passed to Jah through his grandfather and last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan.
The last Nizam had taken over the coin which was devised by emperor Jahangir. Renowned historian Prof Salma Ahmed Farooqui of HK sherwani Centre for Deccan Studies, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, conducted research on the history and legacy of the world’s biggest gold coin and said it was invaluable to Hyderabad’s pride. At present, the coin hunt has begun after 35 years.
“In 1987, when Indian officials in Europe alerted the central government about auctioneer Habsburg Feldman SA auctioning the 11,935.8 gm gold coin in Geneva at Hotel Moga on November 9 through Paris-based Indosuez Bank’s Geneva branch, CBI came into the picture. Investigations started and much information was unearthed,” Prof Salma was quoted by TOI.
She further stated that the CBI played the role of historians while searching for the huge coin but later the search was left hanging as the officials’ didn’t return to the office.
In a book written by former joint director of CBI, Shantonu Sen said that officials discovered that Jahangir has printed two similar coins. One was given to the ambassador of the Shah of Iran, Yadgir Ali and the other was in control of the Nizams of Hyderabad.
An FIR was registered under the Antique and Art Treasures Act 1972 by a superintendent rank officer In 1987, said Prof Salma. She said, “Further investigations revealed Mukarram Jah was trying to auction two gold mohurs in 1987 at the Swiss auction, one of which was supposedly the 1,000 tola coin. It was valued at $16million in 1987.”
Since many years have gone by and nobody has information related to the big gold coin minted by Jahangir, Salma hopes that new efforts by the Centre may bring positive results this time.
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