Catalog
1/2 Rupee / Deb Period III
| Issuer | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885-1910 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Hammered reverse displaying a cruciform design dividing the field into four quadrants, each containing a distinct geometric motif. The upper-left quadrant features a recessed square within a raised square frame, while the upper-right quadrant contains a heart- or trefoil-shaped device with a central pellet. The lower quadrants bear additional geometric or foliate devices consistent with Bhutanese coinage conventions of the Deb Period III. The die work is rough and the flan irregular at the edges, characteristic of hand-struck indigenous production. The overall composition follows the traditional symbolic vocabulary employed on Bhutanese copper coinage of the late 19th century. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Bhutan's coinage during this period was produced by local craftsmen using hand-struck methods, resulting in substantial variation in flan preparation, strike alignment, and metal composition — which explains why the copper/brass ambiguity persists in the reference literature. The Deb Raja system, under which these were issued, was a theocratic administrative structure that ran parallel to the Dharma Raja's religious authority, and it was already weakening by the 1880s under increasing British pressure from India.
The series ended as Bhutan's political structure was fundamentally reorganized following Ugyen Wangchuck's consolidation of power, which culminated in the hereditary monarchy established in 1907.