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11/2 Sho - In the name of Qianlong, 1735-1796
| Issuer | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Year | 1793 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears four Chinese ideograms arranged in a cruciform reading pattern, from top to bottom and right to left, surrounded by stylized cloud motifs at the four corners. A circular border legend of Chinese characters indicates the regnal year. The inscription reads 'Qian Long Bao Cang' (Qianlong Imperial Tibetan Coin), with the peripheral legend specifying year 58 of the Qianlong reign (1793). The overall design follows the formal conventions of Qing dynasty imperial coinage applied to Tibetan monetary issues. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 五 乾 年藏 寶十 隆 八 (Translation: Qian Long Bao Cang / Nian Wu Shi Ba Qianlong (Emperor) / Tibetan coin / Year 58) |
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| Additional information |
The 1793 Tibetan coinage reform followed directly from the Qing military intervention that expelled the Gurkha invasion — the second Gurkha War had reached within striking distance of Lhasa, and the Qianlong Emperor's subsequent "Twenty-Nine Article Ordinance" restructured Tibetan governance, including its currency. This issue was produced under that reorganization, with the Qianlong reign title applied as an assertion of imperial oversight rather than routine administration.
The reform mandated weight and fineness standards monitored by the Qing Amban in Lhasa — a direct response to the debased coinage that had partly destabilized Tibetan trade and contributed to the conditions the Gurkhas exploited.