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15 Tam
| Issuer | Government of Tibet |
|---|---|
| Year | 1913 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Purple ink on yellow paper. Central vignette of a snow lion beneath a ceremonial vessel or platter of fruit, set within an elaborate scrollwork border of Tibetan cloud and floral motifs. A red handstamp appears at left and a black handstamp at right, with four lines of Tibetan script text completing the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Purple ink on yellow paper. The reverse carries an all-over decorative pattern of interlocking Tibetan cloud scrolls and stylized floral elements arranged symmetrically within a double-ruled rectangular border, with a central medallion surmounted by a crown or treasure motif. The design is printed entirely in purple without additional text or handstamps. |
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| Comments |
Tibet's earliest indigenous paper currency series, of which this is part, was produced entirely within Tibet using locally made paper — a deliberate departure from Chinese monetary influence following the 13th Dalai Lama's reassertion of Tibetan autonomy after the 1913 declaration of independence from the Qing. The notes were hand-printed from woodblocks, a technique already centuries old in the region, and the paper itself was traditional Tibetan lokta stock, which behaves quite differently under handling than European or Asian machine-made sheets.
Woodblock printing means no two impressions are identical. Registration inconsistencies and ink density variation are intrinsic to the process, not signs of forgery or damage.