Rupee of Sher Shah
1540-1545 ・ silver ・ 16th century ・ Sur Empire
A silver coin of Sher Shah Suri of the Sur Empire. The source describes it as the "first rupee" and dates his reign from 1540 to 1545. Rupiya—this name, derived from the Sanskrit word for "silver," was established here as the name of the currency. The standard for silver coins set during his reign of less than five years was inherited by the Mughal Empire, then by the East India Company, and then by British India, and it remains today as the name of the currency used by 1.4 billion people. The empire vanished, but the name and the weight did not.