Item number: A86

Year: AD 1932

Material: Silver

Size: 33.54 x 33.54 mm

Weight: 13.34 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2023

This is a half yuan silver coin minted by the Yunnan Mint in the 21st year of the Republic of China (AD 1932). The coin features inner and outer serrations along the edge.

On the obverse side, there is also a concentric circle featuring intertwined and crossed flags, representing the flags of the Republic of China and the emblem of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party). The outer beaded circle on the top bears the minting year “Republic of China Year 21,” and on both sides of the year, there are six equally spaced large hollow circles surrounding a central hollow circle.

On the reverse, there is a concentric circle with the Chinese inscription “Half Yuan Silver Coin” in regular script. In the centre, there is a large hollow circle surrounded by six equally spaced smaller hollow circles. The outer beaded circle bears the inscription “Made in Yunnan Province,” and the bottom part indicates the weight using the Qing dynasty tax standard as “Kuping 3 mace and 6 candareens.” On both sides, there are six equally spaced solid circles surrounding a central solid circle.

In the 32nd year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1906), the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou submitted a memorial and obtained approval to establish a minting branch in Kunming. In the 34th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1908), using models borrowed from Tianjin, silver coins were minted. In AD 1911, Yunnan erupted in response to the Wuchang Uprising, overthrowing the Qing government. The factory was taken over by the provincial government and renamed “Yunnan Mint.”

The silver coin, with a denomination of half yuan, is locally referred to as the “Half Open Silver Coin” in Yunnan. This name originates from its weight (Kuping 3 mace 6 candareens), which is only half of that of a one-yuan silver coin (Kuping 7 mace 2 candareens).

This denomination of silver coin, particularly prevalent from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, gained significance in the 18th year of the Republic of China (AD 1929). During this time, the provincial government, under the leadership of Long Yun, issued a decree mandating the replacement of paper currency with half-yuan silver coins for tax payment. This initiative established a distinctive local currency system in Yunnan.

In the 20th year of the Republic of China (AD 1931), taking advantage of the significant drop in international silver prices, the provincial government purchased a large amount of silver. From the 21st to the 23rd year of the Republic of China (AD 1932-1934), it minted the aforementioned “Double Flag Cross” half-yuan silver coins with a silver content of approximately 37-40%.

In the 24th year of the Republic of China (AD 1935), Yunnan Province followed the central government’s “currency reform” to prohibit and cease the minting of silver coins. However, in vast rural areas, especially in places where ethnic minorities gathered, silver coins continued to circulate openly in the market. It was only after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China that the circulation of silver coins in Yunnan became obsolete.

物件編號: A86

年代: 公元 1932 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 33.54 x 33.54 mm

重量: 13.34 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2023

此硬幣為民國21年(公元1932年)，雲南造幣廠鑄造之面額「半圓」銀幣。硬幣雙面皆具內齒及外廓，幣邊為齒邊。

硬幣正面亦有一道珠圈，珠圈內為繫結交叉的雙旗圖案，分別為中華民國國旗及國民黨黨徽旗。珠圈外的上環為鑄造年份「中華民國廿一年」，於字首尾兩側皆有環繞一空心圓的六粒等大空心圓。

背面有一道珠圈，珠圈內有中文楷書「半圓銀幣」四字，正中央則是環繞一空心大圓的六粒空心小圓。珠圈外的上環鑄有「雲南省造」字樣，下環則為沿用清季納稅標準的「庫平三錢六分」重量，兩側鑄有環繞一實心圓的六粒等大實心圓。

光緒32年(公元1906年)，雲貴總督上奏獲准於昆明設立造幣分廠。光緒34年(公元1908年)以借用自天津的母模具開鑄銀元。公元1911年，雲南爆發響應武昌的「重九起義」推翻清政府後，工廠由省府接管更名為「雲南造幣廠」。

上述面額半圓的銀幣，於雲南本地有「半開銀幣」稱呼，源於其重量(庫平三錢六分)僅是一圓銀幣(庫平七錢二分)的一半。該面額的銀幣是清末自民國之際，特別是民國18年(公元1929年)，以龍雲為首的省政府頒布以半圓銀幣取代紙幣納稅後，成為雲南地方特色的本位幣制。民國20年(公元1931年)，省府趁國際銀價大跌購入巨量白銀，於民國21至23年(公元1932-34年)之際，鑄造上述「雙旗交叉」半圓銀幣，含銀量約占37-40 %。