Catalog
1 Pe - Mindon Min
| Issuer | Myanmar |
|---|---|
| Year | 1867 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A chinthe (mythological lion-dragon guardian figure) displayed in left-facing profile, shown in a rampant stance at center of the coin field. The creature is rendered in relief with characteristic Burmese artistic style, with a flowing mane and curled tail. Surrounding the central figure is a circular legend in Burmese script (Myanmar), arranged around the entire periphery of the coin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The denomination inscription in Burmese script is displayed at the center of the coin within an ornate wreath formed by two symmetrical laurel or floral branches tied at the base with a bow. Additional Burmese script characters appear above the wreath in the upper field, completing the reverse design in a style consistent with coinage of King Mindon Min's reign. |
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| Additional information |
Mindon Min refused to sign the Treaty of Yandabo's effective extension and spent much of his reign attempting to modernize Burma while resisting further British encroachment. His mint at Mandalay, established in the 1860s with imported European equipment, produced these small gold peas — a denomination rooted in the traditional tical weight system — as part of a deliberate effort to formalize and centralize Burmese coinage. The kingdom had long relied on beaten silver and gold lumps; struck coin was itself a political statement.
Mindon died in 1878 without naming a successor, triggering a palace massacre and dynastic chaos that ultimately hastened British annexation in 1885.