Bhutan's gold commemorative program of the 1990s was largely driven by export revenue rather than domestic monetary need — these pieces were struck for the international collector market and almost certainly never circulated within the kingdom. The Year of the Ox falls in the Bhutanese lunisolar calendar cycle, 1996 corresponding to the Wood Ox year, a designation carrying specific astrological weight in Vajrayana Buddhist tradition practiced throughout the country.
KM#133 is one of several zodiac-themed issues the Royal Monetary Authority produced in this period, all sharing the same quarter-ounce gold specification.
Bhutan's gold commemorative program of the 1990s was largely driven by export revenue rather than domestic monetary need — these pieces were struck for the international collector market and almost certainly never circulated within the kingdom. The Year of the Ox falls in the Bhutanese lunisolar calendar cycle, 1996 corresponding to the Wood Ox year, a designation carrying specific astrological weight in Vajrayana Buddhist tradition practiced throughout the country.
KM#133 is one of several zodiac-themed issues the Royal Monetary Authority produced in this period, all sharing the same quarter-ounce gold specification.