Catalog
Token - Fractional Kyat - Bodawpaya
| Issuer | Kingdom of Burma (Konbaung Dynasty) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1782-1810 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.17 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central depiction of the Srivatsa, an auspicious endless-knot symbol of Vaishnavite and Buddhist significance, occupying the primary field of the coin. Within the body of the Srivatsa, a conch shell (sankha) is depicted, itself a sacred emblem associated with Buddhist and Hindu iconography denoting purity and divine sound. A star or rosette motif appears in the right field. The design is rendered in the bold, simplified style typical of hammered Burmese regal coinage of the Konbaung period, with characteristic surface irregularities resulting from the hand-striking process. |
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| Mintage | ND (1782-1810) |
| Additional information |
Bodawpaya seized the Burmese throne in 1782 after executing his nephews and consolidating power following the chaos that followed Hsinbyushin's death. His reign saw aggressive territorial expansion — including the annexation of Arakan in 1784 — which brought enormous quantities of Arakanese silver and coinage into Burmese circulation, complicating the existing monetary supply. These fractional silver tokens were likely produced in response to persistent shortages of small-denomination currency in a monetized economy that official coinage never quite kept pace with. The Konbaung court did not operate a centralized mint in the Western sense.