What do the symbols on this Nepalese coin represent?

March 13, 2013 1:14 PM

I have a 2 rupee coin from Nepal. What do the symbols around the mountain represent?

Here's the best photo I could take (sorry it's not super sharp):

Nepal 2 Rupee Coin

So far I have been unsuccessful in Googling the answer to my question. Does anyone have a clue as to what the symbols surrounding the mountain on the back of this coin mean? Looks like it's a moon, sun, leaf, a key (or wand, or phallus?), a word, another word, a flower, and something else I can't discern. The front of the coin features a man and oxen tilling the fields, so that seems straightforward enough. Also I understand that the mountain is meant to be Mount Everest. Any other insights? Thanks in advance!

posted by Angel de Lune to society & culture (6 answers total)

The four small symbols on the back around Mt. Everest are a discus, a lotus, a mace (the phallic thing), and the conch shell - the four symbols held by the four hands of the Hindu god Vishnu.
posted by vetala at 1:25 PM on March 13 [2 favorites]

Also, the word below the mountain is Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for Mount Everest. The devanagari numerals below that are for "20" and "66" -- or maybe they're supposed to be "2066"? I'm not sure what that's intended to mean.
posted by threeants at 3:19 PM on March 13 [1 favorite]

Ah, apparently in the Nepali calendar, 2066 was a few years ago.
posted by threeants at 3:21 PM on March 13

Yep, seconding everything above.
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:30 PM on March 13

It looks like I have my answer. :) Thanks for your help, everyone!
posted by Angel de Lune at 6:36 PM on March 13

The left one says

Nepal (in Devnagiri script - also used for Hindi and Nepa

2 Rupees (rupaiyaa)

the right says

sagarmatha

the 2066 is the Hindu Samvant calendar, 2012 was 2069 si this coin was probably minted in 2009.
posted by bbyboi at 1:00 PM on April 12