Item number: A3279

Year: AD 1988

Material: Aluminium Bronze

Size: 31.9 x 31.9 x 2.5 mm

Weight: 14.95 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a 1 Tögrög commemorative coin issued in AD 1988 by the Mongolian People’s Republic, a member of the communist bloc during the Cold War, to mark the 170th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, the founding theorist of communist ideology. The coin is made of aluminium-bronze.

The coin has a notably thick and solid appearance, with a serrated rim encircling the obverse side. At the centre is a portrait of Karl Marx, depicted with a full beard. On either side of the portrait are the dates “1818”—the year of Marx’s birth—and “1988,” the year the coin was issued. Along the lower edge appears Marx’s signature, “Karl Marx.”

The reverse side of the coin features the national emblem of the Mongolian People’s Republic, specifically the fifth version used between AD 1960 and 1992, prior to the country’s transition to democracy. Although the emblem shows significant wear, many of its key details remain discernible. Reflecting Mongolia’s status during the Cold War as a member of the communist bloc and a Soviet satellite state, the emblem was heavily influenced by Soviet design.

Flanking the emblem are tied sheaves of wheat, symbolising agriculture, while the top features a red star—representing communism—and the Soyombo, a traditional symbol of Mongolia. At the bottom is a cogwheel wrapped in a ribbon, representing the working class; inscribed on the ribbon is the Cyrillic abbreviation of the country’s name: “БНМАУ” (Бүгд Найрамдах Монгол Ард Улс, “Mongolian People’s Republic”).

At the centre of the emblem is a depiction of a Mongolian man dressed in traditional attire, riding a horse across the steppe toward a rising sun—symbolising the nation’s progress toward a bright communist future.

At the top of the emblem, the full name of the country is inscribed in Cyrillic Mongolian: “БҮГД НАЙРАМДАХ МОНГОЛ АРД УЛС” (Mongolian People’s Republic). Below the emblem is the coin’s denomination: “НЭГ ТӨГРӨГ” (1 Tögrög). The term Tögrög in Mongolian literally means “Dollar.”

The Mongolian People’s Republic was established in AD 1924, becoming the world’s second communist regime after the Soviet Union. The republic emerged from the former territory of the Qing Empire known as Khalkha Mongolia, or more commonly Outer Mongolia.

In AD 1911, following the Xinhai Revolution and the overthrow of the Qing dynasty by Han Chinese revolutionaries, the Khalkha Mongols declared independence by enthroning their spiritual leader, the Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, as monarch of a theocratic state. However, during this tumultuous period, Mongolia was successively invaded by the Chinese Beiyang government and by remnants of the Russian White Army amidst the Russian Civil War.

It was not until Damdin Sükhbaatar, the founder of Mongolia’s first communist party—the Mongolian People’s Party—with military support from the Soviet Union, defeated the White Army forces led by Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, that the foundations were laid for the proclamation of the Mongolian People’s Republic.

Nevertheless, the international community largely regarded Mongolia as a satellite state of the Soviet Union. The Republic of China (ROC) persistently asserted its sovereignty over the Mongolian People’s Republic. In AD 1945, however, under pressure from the Soviet Union, the ROC formally recognised Mongolia’s independence. After the Chinese Civil War, when the ROC retreated to Taiwan following its defeat by the Chinese Communist Party, it reversed its position and once again denied Mongolian independence.

In AD 1961, Mongolia successfully joined the United Nations, and its sovereignty was recognised by the majority of the international community. Interestingly, it was not until AD 2002 that the Republic of China government in Taiwan officially acknowledged Mongolia’s status as an independent nation. In AD 2017, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was formally designated as the authority responsible for Mongolian affairs, thereby granting de jure recognition of Mongolia’s de facto independence.

物件編號: A3279

年代: 公元 1988 年

材質: 鋁青銅

尺寸: 31.9 x 31.9 x 2.5 mm

重量: 14.95 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚公元1988年，時值共產主義理論的奠基者卡爾·馬克思誕辰170周年之際，冷戰共產陣營一員的蒙古人民共和國為此發行的1圖格里克紀念幣，材質為鋁青銅。

錢幣的外觀十分厚實，正面周圍圍繞著鋸齒狀的齒邊。正中央是蓄著落腮鬍的馬克思肖像，左右兩側標示馬克思的出生年份「1818」和錢幣發行年份「1988」，下緣則是馬克思的簽名「Karl Marx」。

錢幣背面帶有蒙古人民共和國的國徽，為公元1960年至1992年民主化之前，蒙古人民共和國使用的第五版國徽。國徽磨蝕較為嚴重，但尚能辨識相關細節。作為冷戰時期共產主義陣營和蘇聯衛星國的身分，蒙古的國徽深受蘇聯的影響。國徽兩側是打結的麥穗，頂端是象徵共產主義的紅星和象徵蒙古的「索永布」，下緣則是被包裹在綵帶象徵工人的齒輪，綵帶上面有西里爾蒙文的國名縮寫「БНМАУ」。國徽正中央是一個在草原上馭馬奔馳，身著傳統服飾奔向朝陽的蒙古男子，象徵國家邁向共產主義的光明未來。

國徽上緣是以西里爾蒙文標示完整的國名「БҮГД НАЙРАМДАХ МОНГОЛ АРД УЛС」(蒙古人民共和國)，下方則是標示錢幣面額「НЭГ ТӨГРӨГ」(1圖格里克)，「圖格里克」蒙古語是「圓」的意思。

蒙古人民共和國成立於公元1924年，是僅次於蘇聯的第二個共產主義政權。蒙古人民共和國原先為清帝國的疆域，即「喀爾喀蒙古」或稱作「外蒙古」。公元1911年，清朝皇室於辛亥革命遭到漢人推翻之後，喀爾喀蒙古擁立宗教領袖哲布尊丹巴呼圖克圖獨立建國。不過在這段時間，蒙古先後遭到中國北洋政府和俄國內戰落敗的白軍軍閥入侵，直到創立蒙古第一個共產主義政黨「蒙古人民黨」的達木丁·蘇赫巴托，在蘇聯協助下擊敗羅曼·馮·恩琴指揮的俄國白軍殘餘，方才成功建立蒙古人民共和國。

不過外界將蒙古視為蘇聯的衛星國，中華民國政府也不斷聲張對於蒙古人民共和國的主權。不過公元1945年，中華民國迫於蘇聯壓力承認蒙古為獨立國家，雖然國共內戰戰敗退守台灣後，中華民國政府又再度否定蒙古的獨立。公元1961年，蒙古成功加入聯合國其主權得到多數國家承認。有趣的是，直到公元2002年位於台灣的中華民國政府才承認蒙古的主權獨立，並且在公元2017年確立外交部負責蒙古事務，於法律上承認蒙古的實質獨立。