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1/2 Rupee / Deb Period III
| Issuer | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1835-1910 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 2.3 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a teardrop or water-drop symbol flanked by geometric Buddhist auspicious devices, including a square diaper pattern to the right containing a central dot. A reversed swastika (fylfot) appears in the lower left quadrant, and a crescent motif is visible at the lower center. The overall design is arranged within a linear border framework characteristic of Bhutanese hammered coinage, with additional symbolic elements distributed across the upper field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | An arrangement of Buddhist auspicious symbols (ashtamangala) rendered in a primitive, boldly struck style typical of Bhutanese hammered copper coinage of the Deb period. The devices are distributed across the field without a formal border, featuring geometric and symbolic motifs with irregular flan preparation and variable die alignment consistent with hand-struck production. |
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| Additional information |
Bhutan's coinage during this period was produced by hand-striking methods that had changed little over centuries, with dies cut locally and planchets hammered rather than milled. The result is that no two specimens are quite alike in shape or strike, and attribution within the Deb Raja period subdivisions relies heavily on die characteristics rather than any official mint record — Bhutan kept none in any recoverable form.
KM#9.2 is distinguished from the closely related 9.1 primarily by die details that reflect successive generations of local craftsmen reinterpreting worn or damaged master dies.