Item number: A161

Year: AD 1899

Material: Silver

Size: 15.0 x 15.0 mm

Manufactured by: Fengtian, Fengtian Arsenal

Provenance: Noonans 2022

The coin is a 5 cents denomination silver coin minted by the Fengtian Arsenal in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1899). The obverse side features a five-clawed dragon with a spiral cloud pattern emanating from its mouth. Surrounding the dragon in a counterclockwise direction are inscriptions indicating the minting year and location, with a distinction from other denominations (such as one dollar and 50 cents) which bear the inscription “Fengtian Arsenal”; instead, this coin specifies “Fengtian Province”. On the reverse side of the coin, there is a beaded circle, with the denomination “5 cents” inscribed in Chinese characters in the centre. Surrounding the beaded circle in Manchu script is the inscription “Made by Fengtian Arsenal of the Great Qing.”

The Fengtian Arsenal was established in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1896). Its minting activities spanned the late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China era, the puppet state of Manchukuo, and the PRC regime, representing a significant period in 20th-century Chinese history. Undergoing several name changes, it is now known as the “Shenyang Mint Co., Ltd.,” directly affiliated with the People’s Bank of China. The coin moulds for the “Guangxu 25th year” series inherited the moulds from the “Guangxu 24th year” produced in Fengtian Province. The significance of this mould in the minting history of Fengtian Province lies in its departure from the traditional Qing practise of indicating denomination based on weight (“Kuping”) and adopting a system based on face value (“One dollar,” “50 cents,” and “5 cents”). However, in the 29th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1903), the mint reverted to indicating denomination based on weight.

物件編號: A161

年代: 公元 1899 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 15.0 x 15.0 mm

製造地: 奉天, 奉天機器局

來源: 諾南斯 2022

此硬幣為光緒25年(公元1899年)，由奉天省(今 遼寧省一帶)「奉天機器局」鑄造之半角面額銀幣。正面的主視覺為一隻五爪蟠龍，正中央則有從龍口吐出的螺旋狀雲紋。周圍則是逆時針方向環繞的鑄造年份和地點資訊，不同於其他面額(一圓、五角)標示為「奉天機器局」，該硬幣的地點標示為「奉天省」。至於硬幣背面，中間有一道珠圈，珠圈內側以中文直書「半角」面額。珠圈外側環鑄的滿文，其意為「大清奉天機器局造」。

奉天機器局創建於光緒22年(公元1896年)，其鑄造時間完整橫跨：晚清、民國、偽滿和中共，即二十世紀的中國歷史。歷經數次更名，現今稱作「瀋陽造幣有限公司」直屬於中國人民銀行。該款「光緒二十五年」系列的硬幣模具，承襲奉天省造「光緒二十四年」模具。此款模具對奉天省鑄幣歷史的意義在於，是首次排除清代傳統「計重」，即「庫平」標示面額。改為使用「計值」，即「一圓、五角和半角」面額的硬幣。但光緒29年(公元1903年)，鑄幣廠又恢復以「計重」作為面額的標示。