1/2 Rupee / Deb Period III

Bhutan's coinage during this period was produced by hand-striking methods that had changed little in centuries, with dies cut locally and blanks prepared without mechanical rolling — accounting for the dramatic irregularity in flan shape and thickness that characterizes virtually every known specimen. The "Deb" in the designation refers to the Druk Desi, Bhutan's secular ruler, whose authority ran parallel to that of the Je Khenpo throughout the country's dual-governance structure.

The seventy-five year date span reflects genuine uncertainty rather than a prolonged single issue — attributing these pieces to specific reigns remains difficult because Bhutanese authorities neither dated their coins nor recorded mintage figures systematically.