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1/2 Rupee / Deb Period III
| Issuer | Kingdom of Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885-1910 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Rupee (1789-1957) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a large, intricately interlaced knot motif — characteristic of the endless knot (one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism) — rendered in bold relief on a plain field. The design is enclosed within a roughly squared border formed by raised linear divisions, creating four quadrants around the central symbol. Small pellets appear in the flanking quadrants. The flan is irregular and slightly polygonal, consistent with hammered coinage of the period. The overall style reflects the crude but symbolically rich aesthetic of Bhutanese copper coinage of the late 19th to early 20th century. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Bhutan's Deb coinage was issued under the authority of the Druk Desi — the temporal ruler — rather than the Dharma Raja, reflecting the administrative split that governed the kingdom until the Wangchuck dynasty consolidated power in 1907. The coins of this period were struck with rudimentary local dies, and the copper-brass composition varies noticeably between pieces, suggesting the mint drew on whatever alloy stock was at hand rather than maintaining strict metallurgical standards.
KM#15.2 is distinguished from the broader 15.x series by its die characteristics. Bhutan would abandon the Deb coinage system entirely following Ugyen Wangchuck's coronation as the first hereditary King.