1/2 Rupee / Deb Period I

Bhutan's early coinage was produced by hand-hammering at local workshops with no central mint infrastructure, which accounts for the extreme variability in fabric, strike quality, and flan preparation across all survivors. The "Deb Period" designation refers to the Druk Desi — the secular ruler of Bhutan — whose administrations oversaw coin production during a stretch of roughly five decades when the country had only sporadic contact with British India.

KM#3.2 distinguishes this subtype from closely related issues by die characteristics that collectors still dispute in attribution. Many examples attributed to this period were likely struck across multiple reigns, making precise dating within the 1790–1840 window largely speculative.