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Auction: 25122 - Spink Numismatic e-Circular 41: The Falcon Collection of Islamic Gold and Silver Coins and The Shepherd Collection of Indian States and Presidency Coinage. - e-Auction
Lot: 2648

Tibet, Anonymous, Vartula Tangka, (issued 1763 or 1764 or 1785), the syllable "dza" in Vartula-script repeated eight times on both sides, with eight-spoked wheel in centre, rev. the syllable "dza" in Vartula-script repeated eight times on both sides, with eight-spoked wheel in centre, 26mm, 5.53g (KM YC5.2; YZM 248), with striking softness and therefore resulting flatness, with a uniform and darkly toned surfaces, about fine, a scarce early Tibetan denomination and thus highly sought after

Provenance

Purchased, Baldwin's [with envelope]


On both sides the inscription represents eight times the syllable "dza" in Vartula-script (equivalent to the syllable "ja" in Sanskrit). "ja" may be short for jaya (victorious). Together with the wheel with eight spokes in the centre the meaning would be "victorious wheel", referring to the teaching of the Buddha or more specifically to the dharma cakra (Tibetan chos 'khor), the wheel of religion which according to Buddhist tradition was set in motion by Buddha in the deer park of Sarnath, near Varanasi (Benares). Chinese sources report that the first coins were struck in Tibet in 1763/4 and in 1785 and this coin has been been tentatively attributed to the years 1763/4, 1785 or to the early 19th century (Martynov, A. S.: "O pervych chekankakh monety v Tibete" Kratkie Soobshcheniia Akademia Nauk SSSR, Institut Narodoz Azji, no. 69, Moscow, 1965, p. 197-202).

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Estimate

Starting price
£500