CHAPTER XIII FANTASIES

The fantasy types have been classified into two groups namely: (A) Chinese types designated as 'FC', and (B) Tibetan types designated as 'FT'. This separation was made to distinguish the Chinese types which were issued outside the boundaries of Tibet and therefore have no monetary or numismatic relationship to coin issues struck in Tibet. They are mainly the imagination of Chinese officials or otherwise in concocting such pieces. Attempts have been made to connect some of these pieces to the history of Tibetan coinage. Such attempts in numismatic literature does not seem to have acceptance by the numismatic society. This fantasy group is included in this catalog so that the reader is well aware of Chinese trickery.

The Szechwan rupee fantasies have been excluded from this category. They have been dealt with in Chapter VII, Foreign Made Coins used in Tibet under the section 'Chinese Szechwan rupee'.

A. Chinese Types

DOLLAR SERIES
a. Chien Lung Dollar Series

1 Dollar
Year 58 (1793)
Code FC1
Diam.?Wt.?
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM380; Kann B2; Coole YS-S2

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Purported bust of Emperor Ch'ien Lung looking forward

Reverse: The Chinese and Tibetan script reads:
Ch'ien Lung pau gtsang
Tsang Coinage of Ch'ien Lung

Year: No date
Code: FC2
Diam. Wt.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM383; Coole YS-S3

Obverse Reverse

Obverse:
Purported bust of Emperor Ch'ien Lung looking to right.

Reverse: Script reads: Ch'ien Lung pau gtsang-Tsang Coinage of Ch'ien Lung
Note: Coole (YS-S3) remarks profile in summer hat and peacock feathers. New characters
superimposed on larger ones but same meaning.

b. Szechuan Dollar Series

Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi

10 cents

Year: No Date
Code: FC3.1
Diam. 19.4 mm Wt. 2.38 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM422; Coole YS-S28

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Empress looking forward

Reverse: 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao
Made in Szechwan Province

Code: FC3.2
Coin FC3.1 minted in gold
Ref: Bruce XM423

Code: FC3.3
Coin FC3.1 minted in copper
Ref: Bruce: XM427; Coole YS-C6; p.117

25 Cents
Year No Date, Code FC4.1
Diam. 23.7 mm, Wt. 5.64 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM425

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Empress looking forward

Reverse: 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao
Made in Szechwan Province

Code FC4.2
Coin FC4.1 in gold
Ref: Bruce XM426

50 Cents
Year No Date, Code FC5
Diam. 30.7 mm, Wt. 11.02 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM427; Kann B28

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Empress looking forward

Reverse: 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao
Made in Szechwan Province

1 Dollar

Type I

No date, Code FC6.1
Diam. 38.9 mm, Wt. 20.37 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM429; Kann B29; Coole YS-C3

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Medium head Type I Bust of Empress looking forward . Type I. The distinguishing features are: (1) 2 buttons on bodice near rim at 6:30 o'clock (2) 3 'M' forms left of center in bodice. Beaded border.

Reverse: Type I. 4 Chinese Characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao

Two rope design circles at rim. Made in Szechwan Province.
Code FC6.2

Coin FC6.1 minted copper
Ref: Coole, p. 117.

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC7
Diam., Wt.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM430
Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Small head Type II Bust of Empress looking forward. The distinguishing feature is the 3 rosettes on the bodice left of center. Beaded border.

Reverse: TYPE II. 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao. Made in Szechwan Province.

A circular rope design followed by beaded border.

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC8
Diam., Wt.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM431
Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Large head Type III Bust of Empress looking forward. The distinguishing feature is the 3 buttons on the bodice left of center. Beaded border.

Reverse: Type II. 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao. Made in Szechwan Province

Sanian FC7

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC9
Diam., Wt.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Kann B29/B27

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Type III. Bust of Empress T'zu Hsi

Reverse: Type II, Kuang Hsu profile. Large head looking to left.

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC10
Diam. 39 mm; Wt. 26.20 gms.
Metal: Silver 96%
Diam. 39 mm., Wt. 26.20 gms.
Ref: #246

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Empress looking forward

Reverse: Bust of Emperor Kuang Hsu looking forward.

Emperor Kuang Hsu

1 Dollar
Year No Date, CF11
Diam. , Wt.
Metal: silver
Ref: Bruce XM435; Coole YS-S-1, p. 116

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Emperor Kuang Hsu looking forward.

Reverse: Type II. 4 Chinese characters reads: Ssu Ch'uan Sheng Tsao Made in Szechwan Province

C. Pan Chan Lama Dollar Series

1 Dollar
Year No Date, FC13.1
Diam. 39.0 mm., Wt. 19.72 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM300

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Lama Type I Chinese script; Hou Tsang = Eastern Tibet, Pan Ch'an = Panchan Lama

Reverse: The 'Wheel of Law' Emblem in center surrounded by crossed "Thunderbolts". Tibet and Chinese Script reads: Ch'ien Lung
Code FC13.2

Coin FC13.1 minted in copper
Ref: Coole, p.117

1 Dollar
Year-No Date, Code FC14
Diam., Wt.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM302; Kann B74

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Lama Type II Script same as FC15.1

Reverse: Chinese script similar. Tibet script blundered

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC15
Diam 39.1 mm, Wt. 25.76 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM305

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Lama Type III. Modified effigy

Reverse: Similar to Code FC15.1

1 Dollar
Year No Date, Code FC16
Diam 37.8 mm., Wt. 24.43 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM307; Kann B75

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Bust of Lama Type IV. Small head

Reverse: Similar to FC15.1

d. Ch'ien Lung Pagoda Tamka Series

1 Tamka
Year No Date, Code FC17.1
Metal: Silver
Ref: Bruce XM420; Kann B76

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Ch'ien Lung pau gtsang: Tsang Coinage of Ch'ien Lung

Reverse: Patterned after Tibetan tamka. Crude Buddhist emblems:

Code FC17.2

Coin FC17.1 minted in copper.
Ref: Bruce XM421; Kann B76

e. Miscellaneous Fantasy Tamkas

1 Tamka
Year No date, Code FC18
Diam. 28.5 mm.; Th. 1.1 mm.; Wt. 19.5 gms.
Metal: Silver
Patterned after Nepalese mohar type
Ref: Kann B77; Huaiyuan #6-31

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Chinese script translation 'Current Money for the Tibetans'.

Reverse: Script unrecognizable.

1 Tamka
Year No Date, Code FC19.1
Diam. 27.8 mm., Wt. 9.09 gms.
Metal: Silver
Ref: Kann B87

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: 4 Chinese characters reads: Ch'ien Lung pau gtsang-Tsang coinage of Ch'ien Lung

Reverse: Tibet; not interpreted.

Note: This piece is struck by the sandwich technique. The obverse and reverse were struck separately then sandwiched together.

Code FC19.2
Coin FC19.1 minted in gold
Ref: Kann B87

1 Tamka
Year No Date, Code FC20
Metal: Silver
Ref: Kann B80

Obverse Reverse

Obverse/Reverse: Chinese characters not interpreted.

China-Sinkiang

1 Tamka
Year No Date Code FC21
Metal: Bronze
Ref: Lot 1430 in Hans M.F. Schulman
Gallery (Howard D. Gibbs collection)
Auction Dec. 14/15, 1970.
Note by H.G. (for use in Tibet)
Huaiyuan #6-39

Obverse Reverse

Obverse: Small square in center with 4 heart shaped forms, each with Chinese script reading:
'Peaceful Coexistence of Five States'

Reverse: Patterned after Nepalese Mohar. Newar script inside square reads:
Sri Sri Suvendra Bikoma Saha Deva'

B. Tibetan Types
a. Ch'ien Lung Sho-gang

Year 58 (1792), Code FC1
Metal: Gold
Ref: Huaiyuan #3-19

Obverse Reverse

b. Ga-den Pho-dang Tamka

Year: No Date, Code FT2
Ga-den Pho-dang Tamka type T13.1
Diam. 25.9 mm.; Wt. 10.8 gms.
Metal: Gold

Obverse Reverse

c. Monks' Tamka

Year: No Date, Code FT3
Monks' Tamka Type
Metal: Gold
Ref: British Museum

Obverse Reverse

References:

1. Kann, E., "Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins", Hong Kong, 1954.

2. Bruce II, Colin R., "Unusual World Coins", Second Edition, Krause Publications, No date.

3. Raeburn, G.D., "Coins that Never Were", Bull, of Numismatics Society of China. Reprint from
"The China Journal", vol. XXVIII, No. 6, June, 1938, pp. 267-272.

4. Coole, A.B., "Coins in China's History", 1965.

5. Huaiyuan, Xiao, "The History of Coinage of Tibet" (Autonomous Region), Beijing, 1987.