Forbidden Coin of Tibet 

All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and beautifully displayed in a mahogany-like box. The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of authenticity, and a black gift box.  Coin may vary somewhat from the image.

The story: 

Bounded by the white-capped Himalayas and the Kunlun Shan, the land of Tibet is topographically isolated from the rest of the world. For centuries outsiders were few and far between. Buddhist monks, led by a succession of Dalai Lamas, devoted themselves to matters of the spirit, literally looking down on the world from the mountaintop. This curious blend of religious sophistication and geographical remoteness gave rise to a mythology. Tibet was a forbidden realm, an exotic kingdom in the clouds, the presumed location of the fabled Shangri-La, a land of dreams. 

Tibetan coinage is quite scarce. The first local mint did not open until 1791, only to close two years later. Tibet did not issue its own coins again until 1836, and continued to do so in small mintages until 1950, when the country was taken over by the People's Republic of China. 

This undated silver coin is a Ga-den tangka, widely considered the most beautiful of all Tibetan money. Originally struck circa 1850, these were issued with slight variations until 1948, a run encompassing the reign of the 12th through the 14th Dalai Lamas. The basic design was inspired by Nepalese coins that were themselves influenced by Indian silver rupees. 

The tangka obverse features a stylized lotus flower (purity) within a circle surrounded by the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism: vase (abundance), golden fish (salvation), amphora of ambrosia (love), conch shell (glory), infinite knot (rebirth), umbrella of sovereignty (protection), banner (victory), and wheel of law (the eight-fold path to enlightenment). On the reverse, an eight-pedaled wheel/flower within a star is ringed by a Tibetan legend that fits neatly in eight oval frames: “The Palace of Ga-den is victorious in all directions, Ga-den being the former historical residence of the Dalai Lamas. 

The eight divisions of the coin symbolize the eight compass directions and the eight pathways to enlightenment and good fortune. The lotus flower symbol is also rich with meaning. Rising beautifully out of muddy water, the lotus represents purity in an impure world. The design incorporates a pathway down the center of the flower to the realm of spiritual enlightenment. 

Data: 

Metal: silver 

Diameter: 26-28.5mm; Weight: 4.4-5.5g 

Box measures: 3.87x 3.87 x 1.25