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Chetam Copper Coin
Period III
切塔姆銅幣
第三時期
Item number: A355
Year: AD 1850-1875
Material: Copper
Size: 20.9 x 20.5 x 1.1 mm
Weight: 2.3 g
Provenance: Noonans 2022
This is a Chetam copper coin from the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, located on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, handcrafted between AD 1850 and AD 1875. The Chetam coin weighs approximately 2.7 grams, making it lighter than the Matam copper coin of a different denomination.
Numismatists categorise Bhutanese coinage from AD 1785 to AD 1930 into four major periods. This coin belongs to the third period, during which Bhutanese coins began to feature more Mahayana Buddhist motifs in their designs.
The coin is made of red copper, with both sides featuring rectangular designs composed of lines and Tibetan script. The front of the coin is divided into three sections, with the bottom part’s design worn away. However, the middle section clearly displays a thunderbolt motif, commonly found on Bhutanese coins, which is written in Tibetan as “ndra.”
To the left of “ndra” is the “endless knot” motif, one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols in Buddhism, symbolising the interconnection of happiness and continuity. Each corner of the outer design is adorned with a single dot.
The reverse side of the coin is divided into a neat chequerboard pattern by lines, with three overlapping crescent marks in the centre. Each side features a hook-shaped decoration. Below the crescent marks is the “conch shell,” one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols in Buddhism, representing good fortune and the spread of Buddhist teachings, though it is worn and not clearly visible.
Flanking the conch shell on both sides are square motifs, which were commonly used as decorations since the first period of Bhutanese coinage.
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.
Charles K. Panish, “Early Coinage of Bhutan,” Museum Notes (American Numismatic Society), 1971, pp. 247-254
Nicholas Rhodes, “Coinage in Bhutan,” Journal of Bhutan Studies, 1999, pp. 84-113
R Sarkar, “Coinage in Bhutan During the 19th and 20th Centuries,” Journal of Bhutan Studies, 2010, pp. 37-55
Michael Givel, “The Impact on Early Bhutanese Coinage of Contentious Relations Between Bhutan and Cooch Behar from 1772 to 1774,” Journal of Bhutan Studies, 2021, pp. 70-84