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1/2 Rupee / Deb Period IV
| Issuer | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1910-1927 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#20a |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a similarly quartered field divided by raised linear borders, each quadrant filled with distinct decorative motifs in the Bhutanese hammered tradition. The upper-left quadrant contains a stylized foliate or cloud-scroll design with pellets, while the upper-right features an abstract floral or trefoil element. The lower-left quadrant displays a prominent interlaced geometric knot or diamond-lattice pattern, and the lower-right contains a scrolling floral device. The entire design is framed by a linear border with short radiating strokes along the periphery, consistent with the hand-struck artisanal production of Bhutanese copper coinage of the Deb Raja period. |
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| Mintage | ND (1910-1927) |
| 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.