1 Mat - Mindon Min

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Reverse description	A finely engraved wreath of olive or laurel branches tied at the base with a ribbon bow frames the central field. Within the wreath, the denomination and regnal date are inscribed in two lines of Burmese script. Burmese numerals and text identifying the mint authority (Yandabon Nepydiaw), the denomination (1 Mat), and the Burmese Era year (1214, corresponding to 1853 CE) occupy the central field. The coin is bordered by a continuous beaded rim. The reverse inscription in Burmese script reads around and within the wreath.
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Edge	Reeded
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Additional information	Mindon Min introduced coinage to Burma in 1853 as part of a deliberate modernization program — the first indigenous Burmese coin series struck to Western metrical standards, designed to facilitate trade and reduce reliance on foreign currency flowing in from British India. The timing was not coincidental: the Second Anglo-Burmese War had just concluded that same year, stripping the kingdom of its southern provinces and leaving Mindon's Konbaung court acutely aware of British commercial encroachment. The .917 fineness mirrors the standard of contemporary British Indian silver, a pragmatic concession to regional trade realities.