2 Sertums - Jigme Dorji Ascension

Bhutan's first modern gold coinage was struck in 1966 to commemorate the ascension of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the third Druk Gyalpo, who had actually taken the throne in 1952. The fourteen-year gap between event and coin reflects how slowly Bhutan was integrating into international numismatic and monetary convention — the kingdom had no mint of its own and remained largely insulated from outside commerce well into the 1960s.

The issue was produced by the Royal Mint in London. At 22-carat gold, the alloy follows a centuries-old English standard rather than any Bhutanese tradition.