Foreign Coins
This museum also displays currencies from dierent coun-tries whether these currencies are from ancient time or new currencies that are still being used.
Leather and Mud Coins
Another attraction of this museum is currencies made from variety of leather and mud. From religion perspective, Buddhists started using currencies made from mud during the time when they built Buddha stupas. But there have been contradiction among dierent researchers regarding the usage of currencies madefrom leather and mud in Nepal.
Garland of Coins
Besides the transaction, the coins are found to be used as valued ornament also by the people from medieval period. There was a custom of offering garland of coins to the deities. Even the people used them in the form of a garland. There are some examples of them in this museum. The garlands worn […]
Fragmented Coins
The full value of Nepalese coins was trended in Tibet as fifteen Karma (a kind of denomination) only one denomination. But when people needed in smaller denominations they were cut into pieces and thus used. There are many pieces of such fragmented coins belonging to King Jayaprakash Malla and Pratap Singh Shah. The Tibetans term […]
Paper Money in Nepal
Only metal coins were circulated in Nepal from Lichchhavi period to 1945 A.D. They were denominated and rates were fixed on the weight of the metal used on the coins. The denomination was called paisa. But in the decades of nineteen forties, the people faced problems with dual monetary exchange system. The Indian coins were […]
Coins of the Shah Dynasty
After the King Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Kantipur in 1768, Patan and Bhaktapur also fell in the hands of Gorkhalis. Then a Greater Nepal came into existence and Kathmandu was made the capital of the country. Then the king shifted his royal residence at Hanumandhoka Royal Palace in Kathmandu from Gorkha. King Prithvi Narayan Shah […]
Jawa Coin
Jawa coin is the world’s smallest silver coin (currency). It weighs 0.004 gram only.
Coins from Modern Period
A large number of modern coins issued by the Shah rulers are another precious possession of the museum. The first coin issued by Prithivi Narayan Shah from Nuwakot in 1754 is also displayed in the museum.
Medieval Coins
Silver coins in the form and size of a rupee weighing a Tola (11.6grams) were introduced for the first time in this period in Kathmandu Valley. Authentically Indrasingh Dev the king of a petty kingdom of Dolakha (about 76 km east of Kathmandu) is found to be the first king to mint the silver coin […]
Dolakha Coins
After the death of King Yakshya Malla a small administrative unit of Dolakha under him also became an independent kingdom. It is located about fifty kilometers east of Kathmandu Valley. King Indra Singh Dev of Dolakha issued the silver coin for the first time in history. The coin was issued in Nepal Era 666 (1545A.D.) […]