Here are a few specimens from the KHWAREZM SOVIET PEOPLES REPUBLIC. This territory was initially called the 'Khanate of Khiva' which was independent from 1917 until 1920, when it was captured by the communists. Khwarezm was once a powerful empire in Central Asia from the 11th to the 13th centuries, and the name 'Khwarezm' was temporarily restored during the Soviet order. The first specimen is a 20 Ruble coin dated 1338 AH/1920 AD, thus being the first territory to issue Soviet coinage. The second is a 25 Ruble coin dated 1339 AH/1921 AD, and the third is a 500 Ruble coin dated 1340 AH/1922. 1922 was the last year that the KSPR minted coins before being incorporated into the Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the autonomous region of Karakalpakia in 1925. KHWAREZM SOVIET PEOPLES REPUBLIC~20 Ruble 1338 AH/1920 AD KHWAREZM SOVIET PEOPLES REPUBLIC~25 Ruble 1339 AH/1921 AD KHWAREZM SOVIET PEOPLES REPUBLIC~500 Ruble 1340 AH/1922 AD
Quite the irony, isn't it? Although the Russians founded the Soviet ideology, Khwarezm was the first to issue Soviet coins. By the way, thanks for showing your specimens. Khwarezm also printed a series of Soviet issued banknotes (paper and silk) between 1920 and 1923. I had just posted a thread dealing with early Soviet banknotes, and the Khwarezm issues are covered in this. Here's the link: http://www.cointalk.com/t79761/ ~Daniel.
Love the local variation on the hammer and sickle - as though it was adapted to local tastes to engender a broader appeal. I collect a lot of Russian coins, mostly Siberian though, but some up to the early USSR issues, just never really got into the Caucasian emergency issues because they are rather difficult to find in any condition.
Your very right 'Saor Alba'. The symbol on Khwarezm currency (both coins and notes) is a variation of the hammer and sickle. Because the region was probably more agricultural than industrial, they replaced the hammer with a spade (shovel). Also, they added a cotton sprig to representing the major source of trade in the region. Soviet Bukhara (1920-1924) also used the same basic symbols in a slightly arrangement. What really surprised me was when they added the crescent moon which is an Islamic symbol. Considering most communists discouraged practicing religion (some even outlawing it completely), it was curious that they combined a Soviet symbol with a religious symbol. One collector theorized that since communism was in it's infancy, they tried to appease the locals however they could to get their support. In this case they probably tolerated religious practice for awhile.
Yes indeed, appease for awhile while teasing, then unsheath reality and replace the old gods with the new ones, ie Lenin and Stalin. Stalin's mother lived a long life, I believe into ca. the 1930's but he never visited her often and had little to do with her. When he did visit Georgia in the 1930's he did visit her and she couldn't understand what his official title was until he exclaimed to her that "I am like the Czar of all Russia" or something very similar.
Oh the irony. In all there attempts to route out 'imperialism', the Soviets became just like them, and in ways much worse. I read that Stalin reveared Ivan the Terrible as one of the greatest leaders in Russian history (go figure). I'm not sure how true that was, but it stands to reason since his approach was just as ruthless as Ivan's. I guess history does have a sense of humor. ~Daniel.
"Same cart, new driver" theory of political change. I think the better contrast of Soviet vs the old regime though in political theory and practice were the Chinese communists whom up until after the formation of the PROC in 1949 - where the communists really did do a lot of positive things for their followers - until they won and then started carving each other up when they had no more "capitalist" enemies. The Chinese Civil War started on August 1st 1927 in Nanchang, and actually I have visited the square where it all started, and the Civil War only ended in early 1950 when the Nationalists on the mainland were finally defeated.
Here is the earliest hammer and sickle coin i have or know of the 19th Century (1895)Chile coin, with condor 1 peso on bottom. And a early Chi-com silver piece (1949). Traci :bigeyes:
Wow! That's interesting. It looks like Chile beat the Russians to the hammer and sickle image . As for the coin in the middle, that looks like a silver Dollar coin from the Hupeh-Hunnan-Anwei Soviet (try saying this ten times fast) dated 1932, from what I checked in Krause. If that's a genuine coin, you'd be sitting on alot of money. Regardless, it's a nice specimen. Thanks for sharing. ~Daniel
Thank you Dan... I know the coin is Silver, checked specific gravity. I will do more research on the coin, I just thought it was Chi-com 1949. I will let you know how my research on this coin goes. Traci :hug:
Makes sense. It seems the same with any political group that claim they are trying route out corruption and oppression, they sometimes become just as bad if not worse than the government they removed. Such is life i guess.
Just the old status quo vs. reformers. This has been going on for thousands of years, under many banners. Seems to be the nature of the beast. God help us all. Traci
