Item number: A358

Year: AD 1810-1850

Material: Copper

Size: 20.5 x 19.1 x 1.8 mm

Weight: 3.7 g

Provenance: Noonans 2022

This is a hand-crafted Matam copper coin from the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, located on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, minted between AD 1810 and AD 1850.

Numismatists categorise Bhutanese coins issued between AD 1785 and AD 1930 into four periods, and this coin represents a typical design of the second period. During this time, Bhutan gradually distanced itself from the influence of Cooch Behar from the south, incorporating more indigenous design elements.

The coin is made of red copper, with both sides featuring rectangular designs created from lines and adorned with Tibetan script. The obverse side can be roughly divided into three sections, though due to the coin being manually minted, only the central part is relatively complete and clear. The central elements, from right to left, include a spell motif of “two crescents with a X in between,” the Tibetan spelling of the Dzongkha word “ndra,” and a dot in the lower left corner.

Another Matam copper coin circulating at the same time features the mantra symbol on the right side with a dot instead of an X, and the lower left corner has the Tibetan character “ས” which signifies “land.” Numismatists speculate that coins with the X mark were likely minted independently by local leaders known as “Penlop.”

The reverse side of the coin is divided into three sections. At the centre is a distinct teardrop-shaped motif. Flanking the teardrop on either side are two rectangular frames, aligned to the left. The right-hand frame contains an additional circular dot within it.

Prior to the 20th century, Bhutan did not have a significant need for monetary transactions, and coins were often given as gifts by kings or local chieftains known as “Penlop.” Historical records indicate that Bhutan initially commissioned the minting of coins from the southern Cooch Behar kingdom before establishing a domestic minting industry. Due to the scarcity of precious metals like gold and silver within Bhutan, copper, which was abundant locally, became the primary material for coin production. Early coin designs were heavily influenced by Hindu culture, but over time, they gradually incorporated more elements of indigenous Mahayana Buddhism.

物件編號: A358

年代: 公元 1810-1850 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 20.5 x 19.1 x 1.8 mm

重量: 3.7 g

來源: 諾南斯 2022

這是一枚位於喜馬拉雅山南麓的佛教王國不丹，於公元1810至1850年之間以手工打造的馬塔姆銅幣。錢幣學家將公元1785至1930年間，不丹發行的錢幣分為四大時期，這枚錢幣是第二時期的典型形制，該時期不丹逐漸擺脫南方印度的科奇比哈爾土邦影響，增加更多本土的設計元素。

錢幣以紅銅鑄成，正反兩面以線條構成的矩形搭配藏文作為設計。正面能大致分成三個區塊，由於錢幣以人工打印而成，僅有正中央較為完整清晰。正中央的元素由右至左，分別是一組「夾著一個X的兩個月牙」咒語圖騰、以藏文拼寫的宗喀語「ndra」跟左下角的圓點。

同一時間流通的另一種馬塔姆銅幣，其右側的咒語符號以圓點替代X，左下角則是有「土地」意涵的藏文「ས」。錢幣學家推測，帶X記號的錢幣是由控制地方的頭人「彭洛普」自行鑄造。

錢幣背面則分為三個區塊，正中間是一個明顯的水滴狀圖騰，水滴的兩側則是靠左對齊的兩個矩形方框，其中右側的方框內還有一顆圓點。

進入公元20世紀以前，不丹國內沒有興盛的貨幣交易需求，錢幣多半是君王或地方頭人「彭洛普」作為贈與的禮物。根據紀錄不丹最早是委由南方的科奇比哈爾土邦協助鑄幣，後續方才在國內興建本土的鑄幣事業。由於不丹境內缺乏金銀等貴重金屬，故多以本地盛產的銅礦作為原料。早先的錢幣設計深受印度教文化影響，後期則逐漸融入更多本土的大乘佛教元素。