A friend sent me the following image on WhatsApp Chat - prompting a hectic discussion on when exactly the terms “Ngultrum” and “Chhetrum” were coined:
Two of 1966 nickel coins denominated in Rupee and N.P., including one of the nickel Thala of 1950
Me : Shameful coins of 1966
Friend : Why shameful?
Me : Read the denominations on the coins. That is why my coin book stops at 1954
Friend : Rupee
Me : Yea …. and N.P.
Me : The mindless work of the English Lawyer Edward St. George who designed and
produced Bhutan’s nickel coins of 1966
Friend : Nu. was introduced in 1974 when our earliest paper currency was released
Me : Nope - it was introduced in 1962: Nu. and CH
Friend : Proof please
Me : For proof read my Blog
Set of 7 postage stamps: Bhutan's earliest definitive postage stamps released in 1962, denominated in Nu. and CH.
Me : Something that intrigues me is how come this English lawyer made the
disastrous mistake while his very good friend and business partner Burt Kerr Todd
did not. You may recall that Burt Kerr Todd designed and printed our first postage stamps of 1962.
He correctly denominated them in Nu. and CH.
Friend : Year?
Me : I told you: 1962
Friend : But does not say on the stamp
Me : May be - but you know very well that Bhutan first issued these postage stamps in 1962.
It is a matter of historical record
Friend : OK
Me : Read my Blog under “History of Postage Stamps”
Friend. : Currency Notes printed in 1974. Interesting development
Me : Yes
Me : That is why I am refuting the recorded history that the terms “Ngultrum”
and “Chhetrum” were coined for our currency notes released for the first
time during the coronation of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
Friend. : Accept your sound reasoning!
POSTSCRIPT:
Someone contends that the term “Ngueltrum” or “Ngueltang” was used as early as 1958 - on a Lagthram supposedly signed by late Lyonpo Tamzhing Jaggar, Home Minister. I do not think that is true - but I will confirm (I confirmed yesterday and it turns out it is not true - the date turns out to be 1968). The reason is that for the first time in the history of Bhutan, Minister or Lyonpo as we know it in the modern context, was appointed during the 28th Session of the National Assembly by His Majesty the Third King, only in 1968. I am not sure that Tamzhing Jaggar would have been vested with the authority to sign a Lagthram then ( - as far back as 1958 - ten years earlier to his appointment as Kidu Lyonpo).
It is a matter of historical record that as His Majesty the Third King’s Representative, Azhi Tashi Dorji arrived Trashigang on 8th June, 1954 - to sort out the landholdings and Lagthrams of the eastern regions of the country.
Even the term “Ngueltram” and “Chhetrum” is a matter for discussion. My view is that Ngueltrum should be Ngueltang (Nguel = Silver; Tang = Coin) The term : “Tang” being a derivative of the term "Tangka" used by the Koch Kingdom, Tibet, and erstwhile Kingdom of Patan (now part of present day Nepal). Since our coins find their origins in the Koch silver Narayani, I believe that we would have borrowed the term from Koch Kingdom’s currency.
The term “Chhetum” should actually be “Chetang” (Chet = Half; Tang = Coin). If you look at our earliest machine milled silver Thala of 1929, it has “Jatam Chet” inscribed on the reverse of the coin. It meant that the coin was valued at “Half Indian Rupee”.
Reverse of our earliest machine milled coin - the silver Thala issued by the Second Druk Gyalpo in 1929, with the inscriptions: "Half Indian Rupee in the Earth Dragon Year"
Our oldest silver coin was also called: “Ngingtang Gatikhap” – meaning “Old Coin from Gatikha”. Gatikha was where the mint that minted our earliest silver coin was located. This mint was visited by Trongsa Poenlop Gongsa Ugyen Wanghuck on his return journey after attending the “Darbar” at Delhi, in 1906.
There is also an opinion expressed that the term "Trum" means to" "Trampel beyni" - to circulate. I think that is merely conjecture - without any historical basis.
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