The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

THE SILVER COINAGE OF TIBET. 345
struck at the Palace of Galdan, near Lhasa (pi. xv. fig. 1),
iu imitation of the good mohurs of the former Rajas,
but with sufficient alterations to show their independence.
They chose the pattern 16 used by Jaya Bhaskara Malla
of Kathmandu in N.E. 821 ( = \.D. 1700), bearing on
the obverse eight fleurets containing the eight Vitaragas
or Mangals, 17 and on the reverse in the same number of
fleurets the Devanagari characters of his name and date.
The shape of the fleurets of the obverse had been borrowed
from the linga pattern. The Tibetan coin is in general
character the same. With the exception of several of
the Buddhist symbols which are different, and the legend
in Tibetan letters, it is the same design drawn with
the remarkable skilfulness and taste which is conspicuous
on the Nepalese coins, and which we fail to find in any
other Tibetan production. The flowery emblem of the
gada (mace) in the centre of the obverse exhibits
a delicacy and harmony which are perfect. It is
certainly not of Tibetan workmanship, but the work of
a Nepalese artist. The size is 8 of Mionnet's scale, and
the average weight of five specimens is 83*5 grains. The
legend, which is more or less defaced on any single
specimen, can be restored by comparing several of them. It
reads as follows : ^
'
$* '^^
' ' ^ ^ Si "^ ' mam rgyal
^g ah \dan pho \>rang phyogs las.
"mam rgi/al" is the name of the twenty- seventh year
16 The same pattern has been partially used on their coins by the Rajas
Jaya Mahindra Sinha Malla of Katmandu in N.E. 836 ( = A.D. 1715),
and by Jaya Yoga Prakasa Malla of Patan iu N.E. 862 ( = A.D. 1731).
We do not find it on any coins of Bhatgaon, probably because of the discredit
which had fallen on that name.
17 On the Vitaragas, see B. H. Hodgson, Naipdliya Devata Ealyana, p.
401, in /. As. Soc. Beng. 1843, vol. xii. pp. 400 409. The late H. A.
Oldfield has given a list of the eight Mangals in his Sketches from Nipal
(London, 1880, 8vo.), vol. ii. p. 179.
VOL. I. THIRD SERIES. Y Y