Item number: A1158-2

Year: AD 1911-1912 (AH 1330)

Material: Gold

Size: 16.7 x 16.7 x 0.3 mm

Weight: 1.4 g

Manufactured by: Tehran

Provenance: Künker 2024

This milled ½ toman gold coin was issued during the reign of Ahmad Shah, the last ruler of the Qajar dynasty of Iran (reign: AD 1909-AD 1925). The coin’s design follows European numismatic styles, featuring a reeded edge. The obverse is adorned with a wreath of flowers and leaves, tied with a bow at the bottom, with a faintly inscribed Persian word “طهران” (Tehran), indicating the imperial capital and the minting location. In the centre, three lines of Persian text are engraved from bottom to top, reading “السّلطان” (Sultan), “سُلطان احمد” (Sultan Ahmad), and “شاه قاجار” (Shah of Qajar), which represent Ahmad’s full title.

The reverse side of the coin is also adorned with a wreath of flowers and leaves, surrounding the central emblem of Persia: a lion holding a curved sword, with a rising sun behind it, symbolising Persian royalty. Above the emblem sits a crown, representing the authority of the monarch. Below the horizon where the lion stands is an inscription in Persian, “پنجهزار” (panj hezar), indicating that this ½ toman gold coin could be exchanged for 5,000 dinars in silver. Below the bow of the wreath, there is a Persian numeral “۱۳۳۰” (1330), representing the Hijri year, corresponding to AD 1911-AD 1912.

After his father, Mohammad Ali Shah, failed to overthrow the parliament and was forced into exile, the young Ahmad Shah was placed on the throne as the new ruler of the Qajar dynasty. However, Ahmad immediately faced intense geopolitical turmoil, including World War I and the Russian Civil War, which left the Qajar dynasty in control of only the capital region, Tehran. In AD 1921, the Persian Cossack Brigade, led by commander Reza Khan, peacefully entered Tehran and overthrew the unpopular Qajar government. Ahmad Shah went into exile in Europe in AD 1923, citing health reasons, and in AD 1925, Reza Khan officially ascended the throne, founding the Pahlavi dynasty.

Due to the lack of gold production in the Iranian plateau, gold coins did not play a role as currency in Iran. During the Qajar Dynasty, gold coins were more likely to be used as valuable commodities, or as gifts from the Shah to commemorate special festivals (such as the Iranian New Year: Nawroz) and to reward courtiers. Most of the gold coins circulating in Iran came from foreign countries such as Venice or Ottoman Turkey, and were often recycled and minted into new gold coins.

During the Qajar Dynasty, each of the 13 provinces in the country had a gold coin foundry, but most of them only minted copper coins for daily private circulation. According to records from foreign travelers, Jews often played important leadership roles in mints because of their expertise in arraying coin. Even as early as AD 1806, Iran saw the emergence of its first mechanical coin minting machine in Tabriz. Handmade coins remained the predominant form of currency until Nasser al-Din ascended to the throne in AD 1848. As the Shah who ruled for nearly half a century, Nasser al-Din introduced minting machines and hired technical personnel from France to Iran in AD 1863. Unfortunately, due to poor domestic transportation, these machines only arrived in the capital Tehran. It took three years, and most of it was damaged. It was not until AD 1873 that the Shah once again introduced machines and talents from Austria after visiting Europe. Finally, in AD 1877, Iran’s first European-style mint was established, and local mints in various provinces were closed.

物件編號: A1158-2

年代: 公元 1911-1912 (回曆 1330) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 16.7 x 16.7 x 0.3 mm

重量: 1.4 g

製造地: 德黑蘭

來源: 昆克 2024

這枚機器鑄造的½土曼金幣，為伊朗卡扎爾王朝的末代統治者：艾哈邁德沙阿 (統治：公元1909-1925年) 時期所鑄造。錢幣整體仿效歐式錢幣的設計，邊緣帶有齒邊。正面周圍以花朵和葉子組成的花環裝飾，蝴蝶結正下方有一行打印模糊的波斯文「طهران」，即帝國首都和鑄幣廠的地點。正中央打印三行波斯文，從下而上分別是，「السّلطان」(蘇丹)、「سُلطان احمد」 (蘇丹艾哈邁德) 和「شاه قاجار」(卡扎爾沙阿)，即艾哈邁德的完整頭銜。

背面周圍亦有花朵和葉子組成的花環裝飾，中央為代表波斯的國徽，即拿著彎刀的雄獅及其背後升起的太陽，正上方有一頂代表皇權的皇冠。而獅子站立的地平線下方有一行波斯文「پنجهزار」，即½土曼金幣得以兌換5,000第納爾銀幣的面額。花環的蝴蝶結下方有一行波斯數字「۱۳۳۰」(1330)，即以回曆標示的年份，等同於公元1911至1912年之際。

父親穆罕默德·阿里意圖推翻議會失敗流亡後，年幼的艾哈邁德被拱上新任沙阿王座。然而艾哈邁德隨即面對第一次世界大戰和俄國內戰等激烈的地緣動盪，使得卡扎爾王朝一度僅能控制首都德黑蘭一帶。公元1921年，波斯哥薩克騎兵旅在指揮官禮薩汗指揮下，兵不血刃地進入首都德黑蘭推翻不得民心的卡扎爾王朝，公元1923年艾哈邁德以健康為由流亡歐洲，公元1925年禮薩汗正式登基和開創巴勒維王朝。

由於伊朗高原的金產量匱乏，金幣在伊朗不太扮演流通貨幣的角色。卡扎爾王朝時期，金幣比較像是作為貴重的商品，或是沙阿為紀念特殊節日(如，伊朗新年：納吾肉孜節)及賞賜臣子的禮物。伊朗境內流通的金幣，多半來自威尼斯或鄂圖曼土耳其等外邦，並且往往會被回收再鎔鑄為新的金幣。

卡扎爾王朝時期，全國十三個省分各有一個金幣鑄造廠，但大多僅鑄造日常民間流通的銅幣。根據外國旅人的紀錄，猶太人因具備化驗錢幣的專業，經常在造幣廠扮演重要的領導角色。即便在公元1806年，大不里士出現伊朗最早的機械鑄幣機。直到公元1848年納賽爾丁繼位時，手工製作硬幣仍是主流。不過作為統治長達近半世紀的沙阿，伊朗在納賽爾丁統治下，於公元1863年從法國引進鑄幣機和雇用技術人員，可惜出於糟糕的國內交通，這批機器光是運抵首都德黑蘭就花了三年的時間，並且多半已經毀損。直到公元1873年，沙阿出訪歐洲後再度從奧地利引進機器和人才。終於在公元1877年建立起伊朗第一個歐式造幣廠，並順勢關閉各省的地方造幣廠。