Item number: A1411

Year: AD 1830 (AH 1246)

Material: Gold

Size: 29.0 x 25.3 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 4.74 g

Manufactured by: Tabaristan Mint

Provenance: Stephen Album Rare Coins 2024

This is a gold toman coin minted during the reign of Fath Ali Shah, the second ruler of the Qajar dynasty in Iran, dated AH 1246 (AD 1830). The coin has been modified into a pendant.

The obverse side of the coin features a beaded circle and a concentric ring. At the centre, an elegant Persian inscription reads from top to bottom: “سکه فتحعلی شه خسرو کشور ستان”, which translates to “The coin of Fath Ali Shah the Conqueror of the Country.” Surrounding the inscription, intricate floral and plant motifs can be observed, adding a refined decorative touch.

The reverse side of the coin features two beaded circles and three concentric rings. At the centre, the mint location is inscribed in Persian as “ضرب دارالمک طبرستان” (Struck at the Dar al-Mulk Tabaristan Mint). Below the inscription, the Hijri year of minting, “۱۲۴۶” (1246), equivalent to AD 1830, is engraved.

Fath Ali Shah was the nephew of Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar dynasty. Due to Agha Mohammad Khan being captured and castrated by rivals from the Afsharid dynasty in his youth, he was unable to produce an heir and thus passed the throne to his nephew.

Under the rule of Fath Ali Shah, Persian art, particularly its painting, reached its zenith. However, his reign was also marked by two wars with the neighbouring Russian Empire, resulting in the loss of control over the Caucasus region. Two years prior to the issuance of this coin, Iran was defeated by Russia and forced to sign the Treaty of Turkmenchay, ceding territories corresponding to present-day Armenia and Azerbaijan.

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.

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.

物件編號: A1411

年代: 公元 1830 (回曆 1246) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 29.0 x 25.3 x 0.9 mm

重量: 4.74 g

製造地: 塔巴里斯坦鑄幣廠

來源: 史蒂芬稀有硬幣專輯 2024

這是一枚回曆1246年 (公元1830年)，以伊朗卡扎爾王朝的第二任統治者：法特赫-阿里沙阿，其任內鑄造的土曼金幣為加工的吊墜。

硬幣正面各有一道珠圈和同心圓，正中央從上而下以優美的波斯銘文標示「سکه فتحعلی شه خسرو کشور ستان」意思是「國家征服者法特赫-阿里沙阿的錢幣」。而在銘文周遭能觀察到許多細微的花草紋飾。

硬幣背面有兩道珠圈和三道同心圓，正中央以波斯文標示鑄造地點「ضرب دارالمک طبرستان」(鑄造於塔巴里斯坦鑄幣廠)，下方則是鑄造的回曆年份「۱۲۴۶」(1246) 相當於公元1830年。

法特赫-阿里沙阿是王朝開創者阿迦·穆罕默德汗的姪子，由於阿迦·穆罕默德汗在年輕時遭到對手阿夫沙爾王朝俘虜閹割，故未能留下子嗣，僅能將王位傳給姪子。卡扎爾王朝在法特赫-阿里沙阿的統治下，波斯的彩繪藝術成就達到巔峰，但是同時也和北鄰的俄羅斯帝國先後展開兩次戰爭，最終喪失對於高加索地區的控制權。這一枚錢幣發行的兩年前，伊朗才因為敗於俄羅斯被迫簽訂《土庫曼恰伊條約》，被迫割讓今日的亞美尼亞和亞塞拜然一帶的領土。

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。

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。