Catalog
1 Sho - Qianlong
| Issuer | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Year | 1793 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Central square void surrounded by four Chinese characters arranged at the cardinal points, all enclosed within a beaded (dotted) border. The legend reads 乾隆寶藏 五十八年, denoting 'Qianlong Treasure, fifty-eighth year' (corresponding to 1793). The overall design follows the traditional cash-coin format adapted for Tibetan coinage, with the characters rendered in regular script (kaishu) within a plain field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Central square void surrounded by four Tibetan characters arranged at the cardinal points, all enclosed within a beaded (dotted) border. The Tibetan script legend mirrors the obverse layout, following the standard cash-coin format introduced under the Qianlong-era Sino-Tibetan coinage reform of 1793. The field is plain, with no additional decorative elements beyond the central square and surrounding inscription. |
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| Additional information |
The 1793 Tibetan sho series was struck as a direct consequence of the Qing military intervention following the Gurkha invasion of Tibet. After Qing forces repelled the Nepalese, the Qianlong Emperor imposed sweeping administrative reforms — the "Twenty-Nine Regulations" — which included Qing oversight of Tibetan coinage. These pieces were the first Tibetan coins to carry a Chinese reign title, a visible assertion of suzerainty that Lhasa had previously avoided.
The series was minted at Lhasa under the supervision of the Qing Amban. Production was inconsistent from the outset, and the coinage was largely discontinued within a decade.