KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
REIGN OF KING JIGME DORJI WANGCHUCK, 3rd DRAGON KING OF BHUTAN (1952-1972)
40th (RUBY) ANNIVERSARY OF THE ACCESSION OF JIGME WANGCHUCK, 2nd DRAGON KING OF BHUTAN (REIGNED 1926-1952)
RARE 5 SERTUM GOLD COIN CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 67 CAMEO
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF JIGME WANGCHUCK, 2ND DRAGON KING WEARING THE RAVEN CROWN LEFT; DATES OF REIGN BENEATH.
REV: NATIONAL EMBLEM WITHIN CIRCLE DIVIDING DATE; VALUE CENTER RIGHT BELOW.
KM # 35
THE HIMALAYAN STATE OF BHUTAN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1907 UNDER SIR UGYEN WANGCHUCK, FIRST DRAGON KING OF BHUTAN (REIGNED 1907-1926).
THE REIGN OF HIS SON, JIGME WANGCHUCK (1926-1952) (DEPICTED ON THE OBERSE OF THIS COIN), SAW BHUTAN GAIN INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITISH COLONIALISM IN 1947, PRIOR TO WHICH BHUTAN WAS TREATED AS A PRINCLEY STATE OF INDIA. BRITAIN, THROUGH THE RITISH RAJ, HAD BEEN IN CONTROL OF BHUTAN'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND TRADITIONALIST BHUTAN (WHICH MAINTAINED FUEDALISM AND SLAVERY THROUGHOUT THE REIGN OF JIGME) SAW CONTINUANCE OF COMPLETE ISOLATION FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
THE REIGN OF THE THIRD DRAGON KING, JIGME DORJI WANGCHUCK (1952-1972), BEGAN THE PROCESS OF MODERNIZATION, THE OPENING UP OF RELATIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD, MOVEMENT TOWARDS DEMOCRITIZATION, AND AN END TO FEUDALISM AND THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
THE CIRCULAR NATIONAL EMBLEM OF BHUTAN (DEPICTED ON THE REVERSE OF THIS COIN) CONTAINS MUCH TRADITIONAL BUDDHIST SYMBOLISM. THE TRADITIONAL DOUBLE-DIAMOND THUNDERBOLT SYMBOL (THE DORJE) IS AT THE CENTER (IT REPRESENTS THE HARMONIC BALANCE BETWEEN SPIRITUAL AND SECULAR AUTHORITY).
CONTAINS 39.94 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (1.1775 OZ AGW)
35 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 598 MINTED!
