16 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [January, 1909. 
discovered in his estate, specially Pache-khani, Bhotang-khani and 
Tuk-khani. A good deal of the copper thus obtained were sold 
in Nepal and Darjeeling ; but much of the later ores lay dead 
stock from the comparative cheapness of foreign imported 
copper. So with the approval of the Sikim Raja Tho-tub Namgye 
he had a part converted into pice. Several shrofis were brought 
from Nepal on monthly salaries of Rs. 12 to Rs. 20, and the coin- 
ing was carried on for three successive years, 1940-1942 Samvat 
(1883-1885 A.D). At first the business was profitable ; but 
the Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling forbade its import into 
that District, and the circulation fell so rapidly as to compel the 
stoppage of all coining.! Since then the pice have gone out of 
use entirely, and I had some difficulty in securing the specimens 
now sent to the Society. 
These Sikim pice are all round in shape, with a standard 
weight of 90 grains or half-rupee. The 
obverse has within a square a Nagri 
inscription in three lines, Sri Sri Sri Sikim-pati Maharaj ; below 
the square is the year of coinage (1940, 1941 or 1942), mostly 
defaced, and on the other three sides of the square a number of 
ots. The reverse has within a square another inscription in 
three lines, Sri Sri Sri Sikim Sarkar ; on each side of the square 
is a group of seven dots, six round one, all more or less enclosed 
in a leafy twine. The actual weights vary from 90°5 grs. to 74 
grs., a difference up to sixteen grains from the standard weight. 
This may be partly due to wear and tear, but also to the origi- 
nal shortage when the coins after being stamped with the die 
were cut off from the copper sheet. The diameters also vary 
slightly from -87 inch to -95 inch. 
Judging from the inscriptions, two sets of dies would appear 
to have been used. The (a) set has on the obverse in line 2 Sikim- 
pati and in line 3 Maharaj, and on the reverse in line 3 Sarkar ; 
the (b) set has on the obverse in line 2 Sikim-pa and in line 3 t 
Maharaj, and on the reverse generally (except two doubtful) 
in line 3 Sakar (without 7). Of the ten pice, two belong to (a) 
set, and 8 to (6) set, the two doubtful ones of (6) having Sarkar 
and not Sakar. 
These pice are obvious imitations of the later Gorkha pice, 
viz., of Surendra Vikrama Saha Deva (1847-1881).? Thisis quite 
natural, the proprietor and the engravers being all Nepalese. 
isa ikrama, one of the year 1792 Saka, are 
also sent for ready comparison. They were obtained from a 
resident of Sikim. 
Their description. 
pl. vii. fig. 11. 
Jang Bahadur, see the Imperial Gazetteer, article ‘‘ Nepal.” 
