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Auction: 13020 - Tibetan Coins from the Nicholas Rhodes Collection
Lot: 543

Tibet, 100 Tam Srang, red, yellow, green and blue, serial number kha/06244, black seal type 3, the main panel of the obverse features a pair of standing lions with human breasts which are facing each other and support a large plate with one of their front paws. The plate is filled with precious objects such as a pair of elephant tusks, a pair of rhinoceros horns, a branch of coral, five jewels and one round and one square earring. The inscription in two lines reads as follows:
gnam bskhos dga´ ldan pho brang phyogs las rnam rgyal/
chos srid gnyis ldan gyi shog dngul srang brgya tham pa
("From the heavenly appointed Ganden Palace, victorious in all directions. One hundred paper silver Srang of the religious and worldly [government]").
The scene of the central panel of the reverse is similar to the one which is seen on the reverse of the early monochrome 50 Tam notes. However, the old man is holding a vase in his right hand, he is accompanied by a boy sitting to his left and the tree under which he is sitting can be identified as a pomegranate (Tib. se 'bru). Some fruits have opened and reveal their seeds. According to Chinese and Central Asian tradition these fruits symbolize fertility, i.e. a large progeniture. To either side of the tree one can observe a flying bat. Below, on the left, a plate decorated with lotus leaves is filled with fruits, (Pick 12, YZM 908), about extremely fine and very rare in this high grade.

Sold for
HK$2,800