Item number: A1895

Year: AD 1878

Material: Silver

Size: 14.5 x 14.2 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 1.7 g

Manufactured by: Yarkand, Xinjiang

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a coin minted in the 4th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1878), following the recapture of the southern Xinjiang stronghold of Yarkand by Qing forces from Yakub Beg. To eliminate the circulation of Yakub Beg’s currency while respecting local trading customs, local craftsmen were commissioned to manually produce the “Guangxu Tenga,” modelled after Yakub Beg’s currency. These silver coins typically weigh between 1.1 and 1.75 grams and have a denomination of “Five Fens.”

Since these coins were crafted by hand, the alignment between the mould and the coin was not always precise, often resulting in missing inscriptions or decorations. The design of this coin follows the style of Chinese square-holed cash coins, featuring a central square with a circular dot. On the obverse, the four Chinese characters “Guangxu Silver Coin” (光緒銀錢) are inscribed in a clockwise sequence: top, bottom, right, and left.

The reverse side of the Guangxu Tenga from Yarkand exists in three distinct variants: the first variant features the place name inscribed in Chagatai script on the left and in Manchu script on the right; the second variant displays the Islamic calendar year “1295” on the left and the place name in Chagatai script on the right; and the third variant, which corresponds to this specimen, has the Chagatai word “Zarb” (meaning “minted”) on the left and the place name “Yarkand” in Chagatai script on the right, while all three variants bear the Chinese inscription “Five Fen” (五分) at both the top and bottom of the reverse side.

In the 3rd year of the Tongzhi Emperor’s reign (AD 1864), Xinjiang was influenced by the Dungan Revolt in the neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. The Turkic-speaking Muslims of Xinjiang, sharing the same faith, initiated uprisings to overthrow Qing rule, establishing various independent regimes in the region’s oases. In the following year, the 4th year of Tongzhi (AD 1865), Yakub Beg, a military officer from the neighbouring Central Asian Khanate of Kokand, was invited into Xinjiang. He soon took control, establishing the Yettishar Khanate in southern Xinjiang.

Yakub Beg introduced a Central Asian currency system with the use of Tilla (gold), Tenga (silver), and Pul (copper), which was quickly accepted by the local Muslim population due to their shared Islamic faith. At that time, the Qing dynasty, preoccupied with the Taiping Rebellion and the Dungan Revolt, lacked the resources to reclaim Xinjiang. It wasn’t until the 2nd year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (AD 1876) that Zuo Zongtang, the Hunan Army general responsible for quelling the Dungan Revolt, launched a military campaign to defeat Yakub Beg.

In May of the third year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1877), Yettishar Khanate plunged into internal turmoil following the sudden demise of Yakub Beg. Seizing the opportunity, Zuo Zongtang, who had regained control of Urumqi, launched an offencive. On August 25 of that year, under the command of Zuo Zongtang, Liu Jintang, a fierce general who would later become the first governor of Xinjiang Province, led troops to attack southern Xinjiang. By December 21, they successfully captured one of the important oases, Yarkand, known as the “West Four Cities.”

After the Qing army first recaptured Kucha, they aimed to assert their restored authority and reclaim the coinage minted by Yakub Beg. Zhang Yao, the Guangdong provincial military commander assisting the military efforts, recruited local silversmiths to produce imitation tenga silver coins. As the Qing army continued to recapture cities, they repeated this process, minting similar coins in each newly liberated area. However, by the 6th year of Guangxu (AD 1880), Zuo Zongtang, the general overseeing Xinjiang, sought to address the issues of counterfeiting and poor-quality coins. He decided to replace the imitation tenga coins with new machine-minted silver currency.

物件編號: A1895

年代: 公元 1878 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 14.5 x 14.2 x 0.9 mm

重量: 1.7 g

製造地: 葉爾羌，新疆

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚光緒4年 (公元1878年)，清軍甫從阿古柏手中奪回南疆綠州重鎮的葉爾羌之後，一方面為銷毀阿古柏時期流通的貨幣，一方面又顧及當地居民交易習慣的權衡下，委由在地工匠模仿阿古柏貨幣，手工打造的「光緒天罡」。這些銀錢的重量大致落在1.1至1.75克之間，其面額為「五分」。

由於這些錢幣是以手工打造，模具和錢幣未必完全對齊，常有缺少銘文或裝飾的情形發生。這枚錢幣的形制模仿漢地的方孔錢風格，於正中間有一個方框和圓點。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序打印漢字「光緒銀錢」四字。

葉爾羌的光緒銀錢背面有三種版型，第一種是左右兩側分別以察合台文和滿文標示地名；第二種是左側標示回曆紀年「1295」，右側則以察合台文標示地名；第三種則是該物件，左側為察合台文「Zarb」(鑄造)，右側則是察合台文的地名「Yarkand」。上述三種版別的上下兩側皆以漢文標示面額「五分」。

同治3年(公元1864年)，新疆受到鄰近的陝甘回變影響，擁有相同信仰的新疆突厥語系穆斯林發動推翻清廷的統治，於各個綠洲建立不同的政權。隔年同治4年(公元1865年)，接鄰的中亞浩罕汗國軍官阿古柏受邀進入新疆，不久即反客為主在南疆建立「哲德沙爾汗國」政權。阿古柏在統治區引入中亞的提拉(金)、天罡(銀)和普爾(銅)貨幣系統，迅速為同為伊斯蘭信仰的居民接受。彼時清廷面對太平天國和陝甘回變無力收復新疆，要待光緒2年(公元1876年)，負責平定陝甘回民的湘軍將領左宗棠，方才發起討伐阿古柏的軍事行動。

光緒3年(公元1877年) 5月，哲德沙爾汗國隨著阿古柏的暴斃陷入繼承內亂，彼時重新控制烏魯木齊的左宗棠趁機發起攻勢。當年8月25日，左宗棠的手下悍將，日後新疆建省首任巡撫的劉錦棠揮兵進攻南疆。12月21日，成功功克「西四城」之一的重要綠洲葉爾羌。

清軍率先攻克庫車後，為彰顯恢復自身的統治和回收阿古柏鑄造的錢幣，協助軍務的廣東提督張曜招募當地銀匠，打造模仿阿古柏的天罡銀錢。後續清軍收復一座城池，便依樣畫葫在當地鑄造該類型的錢幣。直到光緒6年(公元1880年)，負責統領新疆的左宗棠為遏止延伸出的偽造和劣質等問題，決定改以機器鑄造新的銀幣取代天罡。