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1/2 Rupee / Deb Period II
| Issuer | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820-1835 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Rupee / Deb |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central rectangular cartouche containing a stylized figure in low relief, possibly a deity or ritual scene with flame-like elements rising above, rendered in the crude hammered style characteristic of early Bhutanese coinage. The cartouche is framed by a grid of raised linear borders dividing the field into geometric compartments. Devanagari or Tibetan-derived script characters appear in the surrounding registers, though heavily stylized and difficult to distinguish due to the primitive engraving technique. The overall design is bold and architecturally structured, typical of the Deb Period coinage of Bhutan. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central rectangular cartouche displaying a prominent teardrop or flame motif in high relief at the centre, flanked on either side by square geometric devices consisting of raised line grids. The surrounding field is divided into compartments by a lattice of bold raised lines, with stylized Devanagari or Tibetan-influenced characters visible in the upper and lower registers. The design is executed in a rough hammered technique with irregular flan preparation, consistent with the artisanal minting practices of Bhutan during the early nineteenth century. The overall composition is symmetrical and symbolic in nature, reflecting the religious and administrative iconography of the Drukpa theocratic state. |
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| Additional information |
Bhutan's early coinage was never produced by a centralized mint in any modern sense — dies were cut by hand, often inconsistently, and struck in small batches by local craftsmen. The Deb Raja system that authorized these issues was itself a fractured institution by the early nineteenth century, with real political authority having largely migrated to the Penlops, the regional governors whose rivalries periodically destabilized the country. A coin issued under "Deb Period II" tells you less about who actually held power than the catalog entry implies.
KM#5.2 is distinguished from the closely related 5.1 by subtle die differences that remain difficult to attribute with confidence given the handmade nature of production.