1 Kyat - Mindon Min Obverse Trial

Mindon Min did not formally ascend the Burmese throne until 1853, making an 1852-dated trial piece an artifact of the transitional period following the Second Anglo-Burmese War, which stripped Burma of Pegu and Martaban and left the kingdom scrambling to assert its remaining independence through, among other things, a modernized coinage program. Trial strikes in lead were a standard proofing method for dies before committing to silver or gold production.

Whether this piece reflects Mindon's own initiative or that of his predecessor Pagan Min — deposed mid-conflict — remains an open question in Burmese numismatic literature.