Pratap Malla ruled Kathmandu from 1641 to 1674, a reign defined by intense rivalry with the neighboring Malla kingdoms of Patan and Bhaktapur. He was an unusually literate king for the period — a poet and playwright in multiple languages — and his patronage extended directly into coinage reform. The mohar system he formalized became the dominant monetary unit across the Valley for the next century.
The quarter mohar fraction served petty transactions in a barter-heavy economy where even small silver divisions carried real purchasing weight. KM#169 is among the earlier dateable issues of his reign.
Pratap Malla ruled Kathmandu from 1641 to 1674, a reign defined by intense rivalry with the neighboring Malla kingdoms of Patan and Bhaktapur. He was an unusually literate king for the period — a poet and playwright in multiple languages — and his patronage extended directly into coinage reform. The mohar system he formalized became the dominant monetary unit across the Valley for the next century.
The quarter mohar fraction served petty transactions in a barter-heavy economy where even small silver divisions carried real purchasing weight. KM#169 is among the earlier dateable issues of his reign.