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1 Dollar - Pan Chan Lama
| Issuer | Tibet (China) |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of the Panchen Lama, depicted as an elderly robed Buddhist monk with a shaved head, prominent ears, and a short goatee beard, wearing traditional monastic robes. A ceremonial wheel or fan device appears at the lower left of the bust. Four Chinese characters are arranged in the field around the figure, reading 後藏班禪 (Hou Zang Ban Chan, meaning 'Panchen of Rear Tibet'), with two characters to the upper right and two to the upper left. The portrait is rendered in high relief with naturalistic modeling against a flat, untoned field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The Pan Chan Lama dollar is one of the more unusual issues in Tibetan numismatics — struck not by the Tibetan government but under the authority of the Panchen Lama's own administration at Tashilhunpo Monastery. The Panchen and Dalai Lamas operated distinct political and religious spheres, and this coin reflects the former's capacity to act as a semi-independent issuing authority, a rivalry the Chinese periodically exploited to their advantage.
The X# prefix in the Standard Catalog places it among "unofficial" or local issues — which understates its legitimacy. It circulated as real money in the Shigatse region.