VS1988 (AD1931) Nepali 2-mohars

[villa66]

From Nepal, a silver 2-mohars dated VS1988 (AD1931), 29mm in diameter, with a nominal weight of 11.20g. (This particular example weighs 11.07g.) Nepal had in theory adopted a somewhat decimal currency in 1903 with a rupee denominated at 100 paisa. In practice, however the rupee was an accounting currency only, and the silver mohar (valued at 50 paisa} remained the basic unit of everyday use.

But two silver mohars made a rupee, and the arithmetic was too convenient to ignore. The 2-mohar piece—a de facto “rupee”—became a silver workhorse in Nepali shops and market stalls, in the country’s homes, and up and down its streets.

This final silver 2-mohar series ran from the accession of King Tribhuvana Bir Bikram as a 5-year-old in 1911 (VS1968), until the debut of Nepal’s 1-rupee in coin-form in 1932 (VS1989). So this particular 2-mohar piece was struck very near the end of the new/old coinage set up in 1903, and very near the beginning of the Kathmandu mint’s new decimal coinage of 1932.

This bit of film captures some flavor of this 1931 2-mohars’ initial time and place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0QJaUJ70A The earthquake would unfortunately arrive in 1934.

The 1931 2-mohar piece, then, complete with its borders of 64 dots per side—not ornaments only, not guards against coin-clipping only—but symbolic of the 64 Yoginis (Goddesses)....

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