Antique gold, silver coins seized at Mumbai airport, Value could run into crores

The Customs department has seized a set of rare antique gold and silver coins from a passenger arriving at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from London, in a case that officials say could involve artefacts worth several crores of rupees in the international antiquities market.

According to officials, the passenger was intercepted by the Mumbai Customs’ Airport Commissionerate following suspicion during an operation conducted on February 10. He had arrived from London on a Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight that landed on February 9. The coins were allegedly concealed inside the passenger’s trolley bag.

The seized items include a gold mohur issued by the East India Company’s Bengal Presidency , minted at Murshidabad in the name of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (AH 1202/RY 19), weighing 12.37 grams . Customs officials also recovered a gold dinar from the ancient Kushan Empire , issued during the reign of King Huvishka in the 2nd century CE, weighing 8 grams , and a silver rupee from the Mughal era , issued by Emperor Jahangir as part of his famed Zodiac series , depicting the zodiac sign Cancer and minted at Ahmedabad , weighing 11.44 grams .

Officials said the coins were being smuggled using a “novel method” of concealment and that further investigations are underway to ascertain the passenger’s links and any larger international network involved in the trafficking of antiquities.

While the official market value of the seized coins is still being assessed, numismatic experts say such artefacts command prices far exceeding their metal value. Gold dinars of the Kushan period, which are among the earliest Indian gold coins, have fetched ₹15 lakh to over ₹1 crore at international auctions, depending on rarity and condition. Jahangir’s zodiac silver rupees are considered among the rarest Mughal coins and have historically sold for ₹10 lakh to several crores in high-grade condition. East India Company gold mohurs bearing Mughal inscriptions are also highly sought after by collectors and museums, with values often running into several lakhs of rupees .

Taken together, experts estimate the combined value of the seized coins could range from ₹35 lakh to over ₹2 crore , subject to authentication, provenance and condition.

“The market value is being assessed, and legal action under the Customs Act has been initiated against the passenger,” an official said, adding that the case also attracts provisions under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 , which regulates the import and export of historically significant artefacts.