Item number: A2845

Year: AD 1748

Material: Silver

Size: 26.0 x 26.0 mm

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a mohar silver coin minted in Nepal during the 18th century, widely circulated in trade throughout the Himalayan region. At that time, Nepal was politically fragmented into three small kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Based on the stylistic characteristics of this coin, it is attributed to the Kingdom of Kathmandu.

The obverse of the coin features an eight-petalled lotus design, a motif commonly found in both Buddhist and Hindu iconography. At the centre, a solid circle bears the image of a trident, symbolising royal authority. Surrounding the central emblem is a circular inscription rendered in Devanagari script. Each of the eight petals is adorned with one of the Ashtamangala, the Eight Auspicious Symbols traditionally associated with Buddhism.

The reverse of the coin also features an eight-petalled lotus motif; however, the central element is replaced by an octagonal outline. At the heart of this octagon is a stylised depiction of a royal sword hilt, symbolising monarchical authority. Surrounding the central emblem is an inscription in Devanagari script. Along the lower edge appears the date “868” in the Nepalese lunar calendar, also known as the Saka era, corresponding to AD 1748. Each of the surrounding petals is similarly adorned with decorative elements rendered in Devanagari script.

Since the fifth century, Tibet has maintained close commercial trade with the kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley in the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Starting from the seventeenth century, Tibet annually provided a large amount of silver to Nepal, which was then used by the latter to mint silver coins. With the unification of the Kathmandu Valley’s three kingdoms under the rule of King Prithvi Narayan Shah in AD 1767, negotiations between the Khalsa dynasty and Tibet over the purity of minted silver coins broke down, leading to increased trade and border conflicts between the two nations.

In AD 1788 and AD 1791, Nepal–Tibet Wars erupted, during which the Khalsa forces briefly occupied the fief of the Panchen Lama, the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Sensing the escalating situation, Emperor Qianlong dispatched his nephew, Prince Jiayong of the Second Rank, Fukan’an, to lead Qing forces into Tibet. In AD 1792, facing the advance of Fukan’an’s troops towards the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, the Khalsa dynasty surrendered and became a vassal state of the Qing Empire. Concurrently, Emperor Qianlong exploited the war to enhance the authority and military presence of the Imperial Commissioner-Resident of Tibet, strengthening Qing control and influence over Tibet.

物件編號: A2845

年代: 公元 1748 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 26.0 x 26.0 mm

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚公元18世紀，廣泛用於喜馬拉雅山區貿易的尼泊爾造莫哈爾銀幣，彼時尼泊爾分裂為三個小王國，分別是加德滿都、帕坦和巴德岡。從這枚錢幣的造型設計來作推斷，其製造者為加德滿都王國。

錢幣正面的設計為佛教和印度教常見的八瓣蓮花造型，正中央的實心圓打印一把象徵君王的三叉戟，周圍以天城字母環繞。至於在外圍的花瓣上面，則以佛教常見的「八吉祥」圖騰作為裝飾。

錢幣背面同樣以八瓣蓮花作為裝飾，但是正中央改為八邊形輪廓。八邊形正中央是象徵皇室的寶劍柄圖騰，周圍也以天城字母環繞。下緣則標示尼泊爾曆法，也稱作塞迦曆，其年份為「868」相當於公元1748年。周圍的花瓣上面分別以天城字母作為裝飾。

自公元五世紀起，西藏跟地處喜馬拉雅山南麓的尼泊爾谷地諸王國有密切商貿往來。公元十七世紀起，西藏每年提供大量的白銀給尼泊爾，委由後者鑄造銀幣。隨著公元1767年，強人普利特維·納拉揚·沙阿國王領導下，廓爾喀王朝統一尼泊爾谷地的三個王國。廓爾喀王朝跟西藏就鑄幣銀純度的談判破局，致使兩國貿易和邊界衝突激增。公元1788和1791年，先後發生兩次廓爾喀戰爭，廓爾喀還一度攻下班禪的駐錫地扎什倫布寺。乾隆皇帝有鑑於此，派遣姪子「嘉勇郡王」福康安率軍入藏。公元1792年，面對福康安領導的清軍逼近首都加德滿都，廓爾喀王朝降服和成為清帝國藩屬。另一方面，乾隆皇帝也藉此戰爭，增加駐藏大臣權力和駐軍，強化清帝國對於西藏的控制和影響力。