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8 Pe
| Issuer | Government of the Union of Burma |
|---|---|
| Year | 1949-1950 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Second Rupee (1945-1952) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a Chinthe, the mythical guardian lion of Burmese tradition, rendered in a highly stylised manner seated in profile facing left, with an ornately decorated mane, elaborately scrolled tail, and jewelled collar. The creature is shown with clawed forepaws extended and hind quarters lowered, occupying the full field of the coin. The design is executed in high relief with fine decorative detail characteristic of traditional Burmese iconography. No legend or inscription appears on the obverse; the field is otherwise plain within a raised rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field bears the Burmese numeral for 8 (၈) prominently in the upper centre, with the denomination in Burmese script (ရှစ်ပဲ, meaning 'Eight Pe') below, and the date in Burmese numerals at the bottom of the field. The inscriptions are framed on either side by large, symmetrical floral and foliate scroll ornaments in high relief, forming a decorative surround that fills much of the field. The overall composition is characterised by the elegantly curved Burmese script and the exuberant vegetal ornamentation typical of the first coinage of independent Burma. A raised rim borders the entire reverse. |
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| Additional information |
Burma's first post-independence coinage, authorized after the country severed ties with the British Commonwealth in January 1948, was struck at the Royal Mint in London — an arrangement that persisted briefly out of practical necessity while domestic minting infrastructure remained nonexistent. The 8 Pe denomination, a unit rooted in the pre-colonial Burmese monetary system, was deliberately retained to signal continuity with indigenous tradition rather than the decimal frameworks imposed under British rule.
Nickel was chosen over silver strictly on cost grounds, the new government's finances already strained by the Karen insurgency that erupted in 1949.