Item number: A55

Year: AD 1909-1911

Material: Silver

Size: 23.94 x 23.93 mm

Weight: 5.33 g

Manufactured by: Guangdong, Canton Mint

Provenance: Xiang Yun Antique 2023

This silver coin is a “Xuantong Yuanbao” minted by the “Canton Mint” in Guangdong Province during the reign of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Xuantong (AD 1909-1911). The coin features teeth on both sides and has a serrated edge.

The obverse side of the coin features a front-facing dragon at the centre, with the details of the dragon’s head slightly obscured due to the passage of time. However, the dragon’s other parts, especially the scales on its body, remain quite clear. The upper part of the circle is inscribed with the English inscription in the Wade-Giles system, “KWANG TUNG PROVINCE.” The lower part indicates the coin’s value with the inscription “1 MACE AND 4.4 CANDAREENS,” and there is a four-petaled floral decoration on each side.

The reverse of the coin features a concentric circle with the Chinese inscription “Xuantong Yuanbao” in the center. The central inscription in Manchu script, “Xuantong Yuanbao,” remains clearly visible. The upper part of the circle is engraved with the minting location, “Made by Guangdong Province,” while the lower part indicates the coin’s denomination with the weight measurement of “Kuping 1 mace and 4.4 candareens.”

After the Opium Wars, the Qing Empire intensified its trade relations with the Western world. During this process, foreign silver with lower silver content flooded into China, leading to a significant outflow of Chinese Sycee silver with higher silver content.This exacerbated financial difficulties for the government and social unrest. In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1887), Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, submitted a memorial to the imperial court, requesting the introduction of machinery from the British Birmingham mint to establish a mint in Guangdong for the production of silver coins.

After approval from the imperial court, in the 15th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1889), the “Canton Mint” was established in the eastern suburbs of Guangzhou. This marked the beginning of machine-struck currency production in China.

物件編號: A55

年代: 公元 1909-1911 年

材質:

尺寸: 23.94 x 23.93 mm

重量: 5.33 g

製造地: 廣東, 廣東錢局

來源: 祥雲珍寶閣 2023

此硬幣為清代末任皇帝宣統年間(公元1909-1911年)，由廣東省「廣東錢局」鑄造之「宣統元寶」銀幣。硬幣雙面皆具內齒及外廓，幣邊為齒邊。

硬幣正面的中央為一隻正面蟠龍，龍頭細節因時代久遠已些許模糊，但龍的其他部位，尤其是身軀的鱗片仍十分清楚。上環的英文是以威妥瑪系統拼寫的「廣東省」(KWANG TUNG PROVINCE)。下環的英文則是幣值「一錢四分四釐」(1 MACE AND 4.4 CANDAREENS)，左右兩側各有一個四瓣花裝飾。

硬幣背面有一道珠圈，珠圈內有中文「宣統元寶」四字，正中央以滿文鐫刻「宣統元寶」仍清晰可見。上環鐫刻鑄造地「廣東省造」，下環則是以重量計價的「庫平一錢四分四釐」硬幣面額。

鴉片戰爭後，清帝國跟西方世界日益頻繁的貿易過程中，含銀量較低的洋銀大舉流入中國，造成含銀量較高的中國紋銀大量外流，加重政府財政困難和社會動盪。光緒13年(公元1887年)，時任兩廣總督的張之洞為此上奏朝廷，奏請從英國喜敦公司引入機器，於廣東設局鑄造銀元。經朝廷奏准後，光緒15年(公元1889年)設立於廣州市東郊的「廣東錢局」投入生產，開啟中國機鑄貨幣的濫觴。