1/2 Rupee / Deb Period I

Bhutan had no formal mint infrastructure during this period — these coins were struck by hand using crude local dies, which accounts for the dramatic variation in fabric and centering that makes KM#1.1 and #1.2 difficult to attribute with confidence in worn grades. The "Deb" designation refers to the Druk Desi, the secular ruler of Bhutan, whose authority over coinage was periodically contested by the Je Khenpo, the religious counterpart to that office.

The fifty-year date range reflects genuine uncertainty rather than a long production run.