Second from bottom: Silver rupee struck in Lahore in 1801, the year Ranjit Singh was proclaimed ruler of Punjab; the coin carries the Nanakshahi couplet, with the date VS 1858 on the reverse (bottom).
A Morashahi rupee, minted at Amritsar, is adorned with branches and berries, symbolizing Ranjit Singh’s passion for Moran, his Kashmiri love.
General Hari Singh Nalwa, governor of Kashmir, minted this coin in 1822. The letters Har on it in Gurmukhi are the first letters of Nalwa’s name but also stand for the Almighty, underlining Nalwa’s firm faith.
The words Sahai Sat Guru (‘Help from the true Lord’) were stamped on this unique golden rupee used by Mulraj, Diwan of Multan, to pay his troops during the siege of Multan in 1848.
Possibly the only coin of its kind in existence, this Nanakshahi was minted at Amritsar in 1849. It lasted only a short time because the British annexed Punjab in March of the same year.
The emerald seal of Ranjit Singh mounted on his ring and inscribed Akal Sahai Ranjit Singh 1809 (‘With the help of the eternal one Ranjit Singh 1809’)
The Hamandir Sahib today
Detail of inlay work in marble inside the Harmandir Sahib
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© Patwant Singh and Jyoti M. Rai 2008
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