Catalog
Sivaka
| Issuer | Nepal (medieval) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1098-1540 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 8 mm |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Nagari legend reading 'Sri' (श्री) occupying the central field, rendered in the characteristic medieval Nepalese Nagari script. The inscription is boldly struck in raised relief against a plain field, with the letterforms exhibiting the angular, compressed style typical of hammered gold coinage of the Malla period. The flan is small and irregularly shaped, consistent with hand-struck issues of this era. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Devanagari |
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| Additional information |
The sivaka circulated across the Malla-period kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley, a fragmented political landscape where Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Patan operated as rival courts with independent minting activity. Gold coinage of this type functioned partly as ritual currency — temple offerings and bride-price transactions — rather than purely commercial exchange, which explains why so many survivors show minimal wear despite the four-century span attributed to the type.
Dating individual pieces within the 1098–1540 window remains difficult without die study; RGV#168 provides typological classification but not reign-specific attribution for most examples.