Item number: A3282

Year: AD 1981

Material: Aluminium Bronze

Size: 31.8 x 31.8 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 14.75 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a 1 Tögrög commemorative coin issued in AD 1981 by the Mongolian People’s Republic to celebrate the successful completion of its first joint spaceflight mission with the Soviet Union. The coin is composed of aluminium-bronze.

The coin has a notably thick and solid appearance, with a serrated rim encircling the obverse side. The obverse of the coin features the portraits of the two astronauts who participated in the Soyuz 39 space mission: Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa of Mongolia and Vladimir Dzhanibekov of the Soviet Union. Each wears a space helmet marked with the Cyrillic abbreviations of their respective countries—“БМНАУ” (Mongolian People’s Republic) and “СССР” (Soviet Union).

Beneath the portraits is the mission year, “1981”, while the left side of the design is adorned with a globe wrapped in the flags of both nations, accompanied by three radiant stars. Encircling the imagery is the Cyrillic inscription: “ЗСБНХУ-БМНАУ САНСРЫН ХАМТАРСАН НИСЛЭГ,” which translates to “USSR–MPR Joint Spaceflight.”

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.”

During the Cold War, the two superpowers—the Soviet Union and the United States—engaged in an intense space race as an extension of their national power and diplomatic influence. Beginning in AD 1967, the Soviet Union launched the Intercosmos Programme, initially assisting allied countries within the communist bloc in launching artificial satellites.

Starting in AD 1978, as part of the broader Soyuz programme, the Soviet Union expanded the initiative to include crewed space missions, for the first time inviting selected astronauts from allied nations to participate. This programme served as a platform for the USSR to showcase its scientific capabilities and promote international cooperation within its sphere of influence.

In AD 1978, Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa, a former officer in the Mongolian Air Force, was selected to participate in the Intercosmos Programme. On March 22, AD 1981, he launched alongside his Soviet counterpart from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, becoming the first Mongolian national and the second Asian to travel into space. Following Mongolia’s transition to democracy, Gürragchaa later served as Minister of Defence from AD 2000 to 2004, playing a significant role in shaping the country’s post-socialist defence policy.

物件編號: A3282

年代: 公元 1981 年

材質: 鋁青銅

尺寸: 31.8 x 31.8 x 2.3 mm

重量: 14.75 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚公元1981年，蒙古人民共和國為慶祝跟蘇聯合作完成首趟太空飛行任務，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。錢幣正面展現參與「聯盟39號」太空任務的太空人頭像，分別是蒙古籍的朱格德爾德米德·古爾拉格查和蘇聯籍的弗拉基米爾·賈尼別科夫，兩人的頭盔以西里爾字母標示各自國名的縮寫「БМНАУ/СССР」(蒙古人民共和國/蘇聯)。肖像下方的數字為任務年份「1981」，左側以三個星芒和兩國國旗包裹的地球作為裝飾。

周圍是環形的西里爾蒙文「ЗСБНХУ-БМНАУ САНСРЫН ХАМТАРСАН НИСЛЭГ」意思是「蘇聯－蒙古太空聯合飛行」。

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。

冷戰時期作為兩大陣營龍頭的蘇聯和美國展開激烈的太空競賽作為國力乃至外交的延伸。公元1967年起，蘇聯開始展開「國際太空人計劃」先是協助共產陣營的盟國發射人造衛星。後續公元1978年起，搭配「聯盟計畫」載人任務，首度邀請盟國選拔優秀的太空人參與蘇聯的太空任務，成為蘇聯展現其科學實力和外交合作的舞台。

公元1978年，蒙古空軍出身的朱格德爾德米德·古爾拉格查入選「國際太空人計劃」。公元1981年3月22日跟蘇聯同僚一同從哈薩克的拜科努爾太空發射場啟程，成為首位蒙古籍、第二位進入太空的亞洲人。蒙古民主化之後，公元2000至2004年，古爾拉格查曾擔任蒙古國防部長一職。