Coinage of Nepal

The earliest coin minted in today's territory of Nepal was in ShakyaMahajanapada, along the India–Nepal border at around 500 BCE. Shakya coins were an example of a coin invented in the Indian subcontinent which continued to be used in Nepal alongside India for over 1500 years.^[1]

Coins from Indian Subcontinent

Post-Maha Janapadas period (c. BCE 600–?)

Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.

In the Maurya Empire, punch marks were widely used in the southern region of Nepal and also imported from hills and the Kathmandu valley. Mauryan coins were punch-marked with the royal standard to ascertain their authenticity.

Kushan Empires (c. CE 30–375)

Coin of Kushan King Vima Takto

The Kushan Empire expanded into Nepal in the early 1st century CE and introduced Kushan coins. They were used in the Southern region widely and made of copper.^[2]

Classical period of Nepal (c. CE 576–750)

Lichhavi Dynasty

Copper coin of Jishnu Gupta (c. 622–633) of the Nepalese Licchhavi Dynasty. Obverse. The inscription above the winged horse is Sri Jishnu Guptasya

The Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal established its root in the Kathmandu Valley from c. CE 576 to 750. This marked the beginning of the Classical period of Nepal. Lichhavi Coins were the first coins widely used in the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding hills.^[3]

Medieval period (c. CE 750–1540)

Malla Dynasty (c. CE 1540–1768)

Tankas Standard

Nepalese silver mohar in the name of King Bhupatindra Malla (ruled 1696–1722) of Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur), dated Nepal Era 816 ( = AD 1696), obverse. Silver mohars of this type were also exported to Tibet where they circulated along with other Malla mohars

Mohar Standard

After a major reform in coinage, a new style of silver coins called Mohar (Initially called Mhendramalli) were struck in Nepal with a reduced weight standard of 5.4 g. in silver.^[3]

Shah Dynasty (CE.1747–2008)

Prithvi Narayan Shah before the conquest of the Valley

After the conquest of the Valley

Coin of King Prithivi Narayan Shah

Regent Queen

Copper coinage in Valley

In CE. 1865, the first copper coins were issued for the Kathmandu Valley in the denomination of Copper Paisa, Double Paisa and Dam with inscription in Devanagari script.^[3]

System

Tanka standard

• 1 Tanka
• 1⁄4 Tanka
• 1⁄32 Tanka = 4 Dam
• 1 Dam = 4 Jawa

Silver Mohar system (after 1640)

• Double Rupee = 4 Mohar
• 1 Rupee /Double Mohar = 2 Mohar
• 1 Mohar = 2 Suka
• 1 Suka = 6.25 Aana
• 1 Aana = 2 Adha-aana
• 1 Adha-aana = 2 paisa
• 1 Paisa Mohar = 4 Dams
• 1 Dam = 4 Jawa

Copper standard

• 1 Ganda or Ani/Aana = 2 Dyak or 2 Double Paisa
• 1 Dyak or 1 Double Paisa = 2 Dhebua or 2 Paisa
• 1 Dhebua/Paisa = 4 Dam (Copper)

Gold coin system

• Duitole Asarfi = 4 Mohar = 2 Tolas = 360 troy grains
• Bakla Asarfi = 2 Mohar = 1 Tola = 180 troy grains
• Patla/Majhawala Asarfi = 1 Mohar = 1⁄2 Tola = 90 troy grains
• Suka Asarfi = 1⁄2 Mohar= 1⁄4 Tola = 45 troy grains
• Suki = 1⁄8 Mohar= 1⁄16 Tola = 22.5 troy grains
• Ani = 1⁄16 Mohar = 1⁄32 Tola = 2.93 troy grains
• Adha-Ani = 1⁄32 Mohar = 1⁄64 Tola = 5.87 troy grains
• Pal = 1⁄64 Mohar = 1⁄128 Tola = 2.93 troy grains
• Dam = 1⁄154 Mohar = 1⁄317 Tola = 0.71 troy grains^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Nepalese silver mohar in the name of king Chakravartendra Malla of Kathmandu, dated Nepal Sambat 789 = AD 1669, obverse
• 
  Nepalese silver mohar in the name of king Chakravartendra Malla of Kathmandu, dated Nepal Sambat 789 = AD 1669, reverse
• 
  Copper coin of Jishnu Gupta (c. 622–633) of the Nepalese Licchhavi Dynasty. Reverse
• 
  Gunanka.
• 
  Half Mohar Rajendra Vikrama
• 
  Suka Mohar Rajendra Vikrama in the name of Queen Samrajya lakshmi.
• 
  1-8 Mohar Rajendra Vikrama
• 
  Half Mohar Rana Bahadur Shah
• 
  Uni-face Silver Dam Girvana Yuddha.
• 
  Rana Bahadur 1 paisa.
• 
  Rana Bahadur Half paisa.
• 
  Obverse of a 10 Paisa coin of Nepal from the reign of Mahendra Bir Bikram, made of brass.

See also

• Historical money of Tibet

External links

• "Notes and Coins of Nepal"(PDF). Nepal Rastra Bank. Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2016.

References

^[5]

1. "The COININDIA Coin Galleries: Shakya Janapada". Coinindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
2. Falk (2001), pp. 121–136. Falk (2004), pp. 167–176.
3. Nicholas G. Rhodes; Karl Gabrisch; Carlo Valdettaro Pontecorvo Della Rocchetta (1989). The coinage of Nepal from the earliest times until 1911. Royal Numismatic Society. ISBN 978-0-901405-27-2.
4. American Journal of Numismatics. American Numismatic Society. 1917. pp. 231–.
5. Joshi, Satya Mohan (1961). Nepali Rashtriya Mudra (National Coinage of Nepal). OCLC 652243631.