Item number: A1158-1

Year: AD 1901 (AH 1306)

Material: Gold

Size: 16.8 x 16.8 x 0.2 mm

Weight: 1.4 g

Manufactured by: Tehran

Provenance: Künker 2024

This machine-minted ½ toman gold coin was produced during the reign of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah (reign: AD 1896–AD 1906), the fifth ruler of the Qajar Dynasty in Iran. The coin’s design follows a European-style aesthetic, with the obverse decorated by a wreath composed of flowers and leaves. At the centre of the coin, three lines of Persian text are inscribed. From bottom to top, these lines read: “السّلطان” (Sultan), “مظفرالدین” (Mozaffar ad-Din), and “شاه قاجار” (Shah of Qajar), representing the full title of Mozaffar ad-Din.

The reverse side of the coin features a half-length portrait of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, dressed in regal attire and facing to the right. On both sides of the portrait, the Persian numerals “۱۳۱۹” (1319) are inscribed, representing the Hijri year, which corresponds to AD 1901.

After Mozaffar ad-Din ascended the throne, he faced a severe financial crisis in Iran and resorted to borrowing from Russia, which gradually reduced Iran to a semi-colonial status. However, instead of addressing the nation’s financial woes, Mozaffar ad-Din squandered these loans on multiple luxurious trips to Europe, sparking widespread discontent among the Iranian populace. In AD 1905, a revolution broke out, demanding a constitution. Under growing pressure, Mozaffar ad-Din issued a new constitution in the following year and subsequently abdicated. Shortly after, he died of a heart condition.

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: A1158-1

年代: 公元 1901 (回曆 1319) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 16.8 x 16.8 x 0.2 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第五任統治者：穆扎法爾丁沙阿 (統治：公元1896-1906年) 時期所鑄造。錢幣整體仿效歐式錢幣的設計，正面周圍以花朵和葉子組成的花環裝飾，正中央打印三行波斯文，從下而上分別是，「السّلطان」(蘇丹)、「مظفرالدین」(穆扎法爾丁) 和「شاه قاجار」(卡扎爾沙阿)，即穆扎法爾丁的完整頭銜。

錢幣背面是穆扎法爾丁身著華服的半身像，面朝右側。人像左右兩側波斯數字「۱۳۱۹」(1319)，即以回曆標示的年份，等同於公元1901年。

穆扎法爾丁登基之後，面對國內嚴重的財政危機，向俄國借貸使得伊朗落入半殖民地地位。然而穆扎法爾丁揮霍這些貸款，多次出訪歐洲進行奢靡的旅遊，引起民眾高度的反感。公元1905年，伊朗爆發要求制憲的革命，隔年穆扎法爾丁在壓力下發佈新憲法和退位，旋即因心臟病去世。

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。