The
5 Sho coin (Sho lnga sgor mo)
5 Sho coins were minted in
copper from 1947 to 1953 at the Trapchi mint in Lhasa. Their
weight was around 8,1 - 9,0 g.
On the obverse was written
the name of the Tibetan government: dga' ldan pho brang
phyogs las rnam rgyal (spoken: Ganden phodrang tschogle
namgye), each syllable written into one of the 8 pedals
of a lotus flower. In the middle circle was given the date
according to the Tibetan 60 year cycles (rab byung 16 lo
21 to 27) as well as the nominale (sho lnga) in the last
line.
On the reverse there is a
snow lion in front of 2 or 3 mountains with clouds and 2
suns respectively moon and sun.
The date is calculated according
to the Tibetan calendar, that starts in the year 1026 and
proceeds in cycles of 60 years. A coin dated 16th cycle
year 22 therefore is: 1026 + (15 full cycles each 60 years)
900 years + 22 years of the 16th cycle: 1026 + 900 + 22
= 1948.
5 Sho are the equivalent
of 50 Kar or 1/2 Sang. In the year 1948 for 5 Sho one could
have one's horse hooved. 5 Sho was also the daily salary
of a Trapchi canal worker.
Interesting varieties include the sun and sun respectively
moon and sun varieties as well the dot varieties. To make
talking about the dots easier and to avoid the mess Krause
and Mishler are doing in their catalogue, it is helpful
to give the dots names: A (dot after ‘cycle’),
B (dot after ‘year’) und C (dot after ‘16’).
These dots can be there or can be missing.
|
KM
Y#28
year 16-21
two mountains
two suns
dots A, B |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-21
three mountains
two suns
dots A, B |
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KM
Y#28.2
year 16-22
no cloud over central mountain,
two suns
dots A, B
rare |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-22
dots A, B
two suns |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-22
dots A, B, C
two suns |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-23
dots A, B, C
two suns |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-23
dots A, B
two suns |
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KM
Y#28.1
year 16-24 over 23
dots A, B
two suns
very rare |
 |
 |
????g?K???+??
KM
Y#28.1
year 16-24
dots A, B
two suns
rare |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-23
dots A, B
moon and sun
rare |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24 over 23
dots A, B
moon and sun
maybe the rarest coin in
this collection! |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
moon over sun (sunrays around
the moon visible) and sun |
 |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
mountain and central cloud
merged
moon over sun and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
mountain and central cloud
merged
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
crack in the mould
moon and sun
|
 |
 |
????g?K???+??
KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
only dot B (no A!)
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
dots A, B
different writing of 4 of 24,
opened to below
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-24
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-25
only dot A
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-25 (some kind of overprint,
probably over 24)
dot A, B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-25
dot A, B
moon over sun and sun |
 |
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????g?K???+??
KM
Y#28a
year 16-25
only dot A
moon over sun and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-25 (big 5)
dot A, B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-25 (smaller 5)
dot A, B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-26
leftovers of some overprint
above the six
only dot A
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
leftovers of some overprint
above the seven
no dots at all
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
no dots at all
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
only dot B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
dots A, B
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
only dot A tiny
moon and sun |
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KM
Y#28a
year 16-27
no dots at all
moon and sun |
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