Dam (Nepalese coin)
Dam was a small coin, either silver, gold or copper first minted during between c. 1098–1126 CE., replacing old Licchavi coinage.
History
[edit]First introduced by King Sivadeva during his between c. 1098 and 1126 CE., replacing old Lichhavi coinage. In the new system Gold Sivaka, Silver Dam and later Nava-Dam-Sivaka and copper Dam were introduced as a new denomination.[1]
Types
[edit]Nepali dam were originally made of 1 g pure silver or copper. The copper variety were discontinued in the Malla dynasty and all decreased in size to 0.04 g.[2] They were reintroduced during the Shah period, but only used in the Hill Region and Terai. Silver dams were preferred by the locals of Kathmandu Valley.
In popular culture
[edit]Watch Your Language lists the coin as one of the possible sources for the English phrase "I don't give a dam[n]″, due to its small worth.[3]
Gallery
[edit]-
Silver Dam Girvana Yudha compared to US cent.
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Girvan Yudha Copper Dam in Arabic Script
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Gold Dam of Surendra
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ Joshi, Satya Mohan (1961). Nepali Rashtriya Mudra (National Coinage of Nepal). OCLC 652243631. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ Gorrell, Robert, Watch Your Language: Mother Tongue and Her Wayward Children, University of Nevada Press, 1994. Watch Your Language at Google Books