Item number: A2874

Year: AD 1865-1866

Material: Brass

Size: 27.7 x 27.7 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 7.05 g

Manufactured by: Royal Thai Mint, Bangkok

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a ½ Fueang copper coin issued between AD 1865 and 1866 during the reign of King Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty, which ruled Thailand. Fueang was an historical Thai denomination, equivalent to one-quarter of a Baht.

The obverse of the coin features the royal emblem specifically associated with King Rama IV. It depicts an abstract representation of the Great Crown of Victory (พระมหาพิชัยมงกุฎ, Phra Maha Pichai Mongkut) at its centre, emitting radiant light from the top. This crown is one of the five royal regalia of the Chakri dynasty and symbolises the king’s divine authority, being worn only during coronation ceremonies. On either side of the crown are depictions of seven-tiered umbrellas, arranged in a tapering form resembling spires, each layer narrower than the one below. Originating from Hindu traditions, these umbrellas symbolise royal authority and protection over the people. The space between the crown and the umbrellas is filled with ornamental motifs, commonly floral and leafy patterns. These likely include palm leaves, the pink shower tree (Cassia bakeriana), and the golden shower tree (Cassia fistula), all of which are culturally significant flora in Thailand.

The reverse side features a chakra (चक्र), or wheel, an important symbol in Vajrayāna Buddhism. Surrounded by blade-like leaf forms, the chakra also serves as the weapon of Vishnu. The chakra is emblematic of the Chakri dynasty, from which the name “Chakri” is derived, and the Thai king is traditionally regarded as an earthly incarnation of Vishnu. At the centre of the chakra is an Asian elephant, likely a white elephant. In Vajrayāna Buddhism, elephants represent strength and wisdom. In Thai culture, the prestige of monarchs was historically associated with the number of elephants, particularly white elephants, they possessed. King Rama IV is recorded to have kept fifteen such elephants, many of which came from Sri Lanka. Today, elephants are recognised as national and cultural symbols of Thailand, frequently appearing in official insignia and artistic representations.

The left and right sides of the emblem display the denomination “½ F.” in Arabic numerals. Along the upper edge, a Thai inscription reads “สอง อัน เปน เฟื้อง” (two units equal one Fueang), while the lower edge bears a simplified Chinese inscription indicating the denomination: “方片二,” used here as a colloquial representation of “½ Fueang.”

In AD 1857, King Rama IV received a small manually operated minting press as a gift from Queen Victoria. Coins produced using this press were known as “tribute coins,” marking the beginning of machine-made coinage in Thailand. The system was later upgraded to steam power. In that same year, King Rama IV established the Royal Mint in the outer court of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. In AD 1875, King Rama V commissioned a new minting facility, and in AD 1876, new coins were issued. These coins adopted Western styles and featured, for the first time in Thai history, the king’s portrait, thus establishing a new tradition. Originally, the Baht was a unit of weight equivalent to 15 grams of silver. Following the fall in silver prices in AD 1902, Thailand informally adopted the gold standard, decoupling the Baht from silver and reorganising its monetary system.

King Rama IV (also known as King Mongkut, AD 1804–1868) was the fourth monarch of the Chakri dynasty. He reigned from AD 1851 to 1868 and is widely regarded as a pioneer of modernisation in Thailand. Prior to ascending the throne, he spent 27 years as a Buddhist monk, during which time he studied astronomy, mathematics, and Western knowledge extensively, acquiring a strong understanding of foreign cultures. During his reign, he actively promoted diplomatic relations with Western powers, including the signing of the renowned Bowring Treaty with Britain, which opened Thailand to international trade. Although the treaty placed certain limitations on Thai sovereignty, it enabled the country to avoid colonisation. Rama IV also prioritised educational and religious reforms, introducing Western-style education and scientific knowledge, while reorganising the monastic system and affirming the monarch’s role as the protector of Buddhism. He laid the foundations for Thailand’s modernisation and paved the way for further reforms under his son, King Rama V.

物件編號: A2874

年代: 公元 1865-1866 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 27.7 x 27.7 x 1.2 mm

重量: 7.05 g

製造地: 泰國曼谷王家鑄幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚公元1865至1866年，統治泰國的扎克里王朝拉瑪四世發行的面額 ½富昂銅幣。「富昂」為泰國舊時的錢幣面額，相當於¼泰銖。

錢幣正面為專屬於拉瑪四世的皇室紋章，正中央為抽象的大勝王冠(พระมหาพิชัยมงกุฎ, Phra Maha Pichai Mongkut ，Great Crown of Victory)，頂端放射出光芒。大勝王冠為泰國扎克里王室五聖物之一，是國王代行神權的象徵，只有登基儀式上才會配戴。王冠的兩側為七層華蓋，為布幕圍成環狀，由寬至窄層層向上堆疊，整體呈尖塔狀。華蓋源於印度教文化，因以傘護佑臣民而成為王權的象徵。王冠與華蓋間的空隙以適應紋樣填充，多為花木紋飾，可能為棕櫚葉，以及決明屬的花旗木(Cassia bakeriana)或阿勒勃(Cassia fistula)，三者皆為泰國文化中的常見植物。

錢幣背面的圖案為金剛乘佛教中的脈輪(चक्र, chakra)，環繞著葉片狀的刀刃，同時也作為毗濕奴的武器。脈輪是扎克里王室的象徵，同時也是「扎克里」一詞(Chakri)的語源，泰國國王則被視為毗濕奴的化身。脈輪中央為一隻亞洲象，應為白象。在金剛乘佛教中，大象為力量與智慧的象徵，而在泰國，長期以來都以豢養象群—尤其是白象的數量來衡量君主的威望，拉瑪四世當政時便豢養了十五頭大象，多源自斯里蘭卡。今日，大象則作為泰國的國家與民族象徵之一，經常出現於官方符號與文藝作品中。

圖騰的左右兩側以阿拉伯數字標示面額「½ F.」，上緣以泰文標示「สอง อัน เปน เฟื้อง」(兩枚相當於1富昂)，下緣則是以漢字標示的簡易面額「方片二」。

公元1857年，拉瑪四世受維多利亞女王贈一小型手動鑄幣機，所鑄之幣因而被稱為「貢物幣」，開泰國機製幣之濫觴，後改為蒸汽動力。公元1857年，拉瑪四世於曼谷大皇宮外廷建王家鑄幣廠。公元1875年，拉瑪五世下令新建鑄幣廠，公元1876年，新幣發行，新的硬幣仿效西方，為泰國史上首度發行刻有國王肖像的硬幣，成為了新的傳統。泰銖原為重量單位，為15克銀，在公元1902的銀價下跌中，非正式地採用了金本位，泰銖與銀脫鉤，貨幣體系重整。

拉瑪四世(Rama IV，亦稱蒙固王King Mongkut，生卒公元1804至1868年），為泰國扎克里王朝的第四位國王，於公元1851年至1868年在位。他在位期間推動多項現代化改革，積極與西方列強建立外交關係。即位前曾出家為僧27年，廣泛學習天文、數學與西方知識，熟悉外國知識與文化。在其統治下，泰國與列強積極發展外交關係，包括與英國簽訂著名的《寶寧條約》，開放貿易。主權雖遭限制，卻也免於淪為殖民地。他亦重視教育與宗教改革，推廣西式教育，引進科學知識，對僧團制度加以整頓，確立國王作為佛教護持者的地位。拉瑪四世被認為是泰國現代化的奠基者，也為其子拉瑪五世繼續深化改革鋪設了道路。