Item number: A172

Year: AD 1910

Material: Copper

Size: 26.8 x 26.8 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 6.05 g

Manufactured by: Tibet, Zhashi Mint

Provenance: Spink 2023

This copper coin is a 1 candareen denomination “Xuantong Treasure Coin” minted in the 2nd year of the Xuantong era (AD 1910) at the Zhashi Mint located north of Lhasa. On the obverse side of the coin, there is a central design of four-petal flowers enclosed within a circular band. Surrounding this design, arranged clockwise, are the four characters “Xuantong Treasure Coin” in Chinese script. The lower portion of the character “Tong” has suffered erosion and is no longer discernible.

On the reverse side of the coin, within the central circular band, there is a four-clawed dragon facing right. Surrounding this central motif is the inscription “Xuantong Treasure Coin” spelled out in Tibetan script, accompanied by two five-petal flowers as decoration. The lower right corner between the petals originally contained Tibetan characters, but due to age-related erosion, they are now illegible.

In the 19th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1893), following the signing of the “Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (AD 1890),” Britain established free trade with Tibet, using India as its base, which led to a significant influx of British goods and Indian rupees into Tibet. This influx exerted pressure on and disrupted Tibet’s indigenous industries and currency.

In the first year of the Xuantong era (AD 1909), the Tibetan government decided to implement currency reform and established the Zhashi Mint in Lhasa, the first mechanized mint operated by hydraulic power, to mint indigenous silver and copper coins. The following year, in the second year of the Xuantong era (AD 1910), the mint was taken over by Lian Yu, the last Imperial Commissioner-Resident of Tibet, who minted the new copper coins of one candareen and another denomination of half candareen, making them the only copper coins in Tibetan history to feature both Tibetan and Chinese inscriptions.

With the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution in AD 1911, turmoil erupted among the Qing troops stationed in Lhasa, leading to the expulsion of Imperial Commissioner-Resident Lian Yu by the Tibetan government the following year. This event marked the end of Qing rule in Tibet, and the minting of these copper coins ceased, thus entering history.

物件編號: A172

年代: 公元 1910 年

材質: 銅

尺寸: 26.8 x 26.8 x 1.5 mm

重量: 6.05 g

製造地: 西藏, 扎什造幣廠

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

此枚銅幣為宣統2年(公元1910年)，位於拉薩城北的「扎什造幣廠」鑄造之面額1分「宣統寶藏」。硬幣正面，中央有一為圓環包圍的四辦花飾。周圍按上下右左，依序是漢文「宣統寶藏」四字，「統」字下半部的部首遭到磨蝕，已無法識別。硬幣的背面，於中央圓環有一隻朝右側擺頭的四爪龍。外圍是以藏文拼寫漢語的「宣統寶藏」字義，並有兩朵五瓣花作為裝飾。花瓣之間的右下角方位，原先亦有藏文字樣，惜因年代久遠遭到磨蝕，已無法識別。

光緒19年(公元1893年)，隨著《中英藏印續約》的簽訂，英國以印度為基地打通對西藏的自由貿易，大量的英國商品和印度盧比流入西藏，擠壓和衝擊西藏的本土產業和貨幣。宣統元年(公元1909年)，西藏政府決定推動貨幣改革，在拉薩建立以水力運行的「扎什造幣廠」，即首座機械造幣廠，鑄造本土的銀幣和銅幣。隔年，宣統2年(公元1910年)，造幣廠遭到清廷末代駐藏大臣聯豫接管，鑄造上述面額一分跟另款五釐的新版銅幣，成為西藏史上唯二同時使用藏漢兩種文字的銅幣。公元1911年，隨著辛亥革命爆發，駐紮於拉薩的清軍也發生騷亂，促成隔年西藏政府驅離駐藏大臣聯豫，終結清帝國對西藏的統治，該款銅幣也停止鑄造走入歷史。