Dam (Nepalese coin)

Uni-face Silver Dam Girvana Yuddha

Dam was a small coin, either silver, gold or copper first minted during between c. 1098–1126 CE., replacing old Licchavi coinage.

History

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

Nepali dam were originally made of 1 g pure silver or copper.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.

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]

  • Silver Dam Girvana Yudha compared to US cent.
    Silver Dam Girvana Yudha compared to US cent.
  • Girvan Yudha Copper Dam in Arabic Script
    Girvan Yudha Copper Dam in Arabic Script
  • Gold Dam of Surendra
    Gold Dam of Surendra

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  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.
  3. ^ Gorrell, Robert, Watch Your Language: Mother Tongue and Her Wayward Children, University of Nevada Press, 1994. Watch Your Language at Google Books