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1/2 Rupee / Deb Period IV
| Issuer | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1910-1927 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays a quartered decorative field divided by raised linear borders into four compartments, each containing stylized floral and foliate motifs rendered in the traditional Bhutanese hammered style. The upper-left quadrant features a lotus or chrysanthemum-type bloom with petals radiating from a central boss, surrounded by pellets. The upper-right quadrant displays a conch shell or spiral motif with concentric circular elements. The lower two quadrants contain additional abstract floral and leaf designs, with the whole composition enclosed within a beaded inner border. The irregular coin flan, characteristic of hand-struck Bhutanese coinage of this period, exhibits the typical uneven edge produced by the hammering technique. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Bhutan's coinage during the early twentieth century was produced under the Deb Raja system, a theocratic administrative structure that ran parallel to — and often in tension with — the emerging authority of the Wangchuck hereditary druk gyalpos. The half rupee designation here reflects Indian monetary influence filtering into the Himalayan kingdom through British trade relationships, though Bhutanese coins of this period circulated largely on local convention rather than any fixed exchange mechanism.
KM#20a is distinguished from related varieties by its copper composition, where earlier strikes used silver or billon. Fabric quality is notoriously inconsistent across the issue's seventeen-year span.