Item number: A1322

Year: AD 1885 (AH 1303)

Material: Gold

Size: 16.5 x 16.6 x 0.2 mm

Weight: 1.4 g

Manufactured by: Tehran

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This machine-minted ½ toman gold coin was produced during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, the fourth ruler of Iran’s Qajar dynasty (AD 1848–1896). The coin’s design reflects a European-style influence, with its obverse adorned by a decorative wreath of flowers and leaves encircling the central inscription. From bottom to top, these lines read: “السّلطان” (Sultan), “ناصرالدین‌” (Naser al-Din), and “شاه قاجار” (Shah of Qajar), representing the full title of Naser Al-Din.

The reverse side of the coin features a half-length portrait of Naser Al-Din Shah, dressed in regal attire and facing to the left. Engraved beside the portrait on both sides and below is the Persian numeral “۱۳۰۳” (1303), which represents the year according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. This corresponds to the year AD 1885 in the Gregorian calendar.

The design of Nasser al-Din’s coins differed from that of his father, Muhammad Shah, who preferred to use religious dogma as decoration on his coins. Nasser al-Din was even more fascinated by his great-grandfather, Fateh Ali Shah, who minted the title, name, and even the bust of the Shah on coins to demonstrate the authority of the monarch.

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: A1322

年代: 公元 1885 (回曆 1303) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 16.5 x 16.6 x 0.2 mm

重量: 1.4 g

製造地: 德黑蘭

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這枚機器鑄造的½土曼金幣，為伊朗卡扎爾王朝的第四任統治者：納賽爾丁沙阿 (統治：公元1848-1896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)、「ناصرالدین‌」(納賽爾丁) 和「شاه قاجار」(卡扎爾沙阿)，即納賽爾丁的完整頭銜。

錢幣背面是納賽爾丁身著華服的半身像，面朝左側。打印於人像左右兩側和下方鐫刻的波斯數字「۱۳۰۳」(1303)，即以回曆標示的年份，等同於公元1885年。

納賽爾丁的硬幣風格設計，不同於其父王：穆罕默德沙阿偏愛以宗教教條作為硬幣的裝飾。納賽爾丁更傾心於曾祖父：法特赫-阿里沙阿，在硬幣鑄造沙阿的頭銜姓名，乃至半身頭像以彰顯君主的權威。

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。