5 Chetrums Unauthorized issue

Cataloged under the "X" prefix in Krause — reserved for pieces outside official government sanction — this 2003 issue was produced without authorization from the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan. The X#105 designation places it firmly in the territory of fantasy pieces or private strike issues, neither legal tender nor an official commemorative. Bhutan's small domestic economy meant genuine circulating coinage was rarely produced in large quantities domestically, making the existence of unofficial brass strikes in this denomination particularly anomalous.