Item number: A233

Year: AD 1912

Material: Gold

Size: 17.4 x 17.4 x 0.3 mm

Weight: 1.51 g

Provenance: Teutoburger Münzauktion GmbH 2022

This is an extremely rare five-dollar gold coin minted in the first year of the Republic of China (AD 1912). On the obverse side of the coin, there is an image depicting the crossed flags of the Five-Coloured and Eighteen-Star flags commonly used by the government of the Republic of China. The Five-Coloured flag is adorned with various decorative patterns printed within circles, and between the two flags, the inscription “Republic of China” is written.

The reverse side of the coin features elements with a distinct Western style, adorned with laurel wreaths on both sides. In the centre, the coin displays information such as the denomination, 22K gold content, and the year of production “1912” arranged from top to bottom. This gold coin is only documented in the book “Unusual World Coins: Companion Volume to Standard Catalog of World Coins Series,” but further contextual information regarding the historical background is not provided.

Based on the Western-style design on the reverse side and the English inscription “In God We Trust” along the top edge, it is highly likely that this gold coin was minted by Chinese immigrants residing in the United States or by sympathetic Americans who supported the Republican cause in China. During the revolutionary preparations, Sun Yat-sen frequently visited the United States to garner support from Chinese communities and the American government for the revolution. At the time of the Wuchang Uprising, Sun Yat-sen himself was in the United States and even learnt about the success of the uprising through reading newspapers.

The possibility that this coin was minted in the United States is supported by several factors. Firstly, the inscription on the coin is in English, which is commonly used for engraving on American coins. Additionally, the inscription “TRUST IN GOD” on this coin bears resemblance to the common motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” found on many American coins. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesise that this gold coin was minted in the United States to commemorate the establishment of the Republic of China.

物件編號: A233

年代: 公元 1912 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 17.4 x 17.4 x 0.3 mm

重量: 1.51 g

來源: 條頓堡錢幣拍賣 2022

這是一枚極罕見的民國元年(公元1912年)鑄造之五元金幣。錢幣正面是仿效中華民國政府常用的五色國旗和十八星旗交叉圖像，五色旗上還有以不同圓圈打印的圖案作為裝飾，兩面旗幟中間則寫上「中華民國」四字。

錢幣背面則極具西式風格的元素，錢幣兩側以月桂花環裝飾。中央則由上而下依序標示面額、22K含金量和出廠年份「1912」等資訊。這枚金幣僅在《Unusual World Coins: Companion Volume to Standard Catalog of World Coins Series》一書出現過，卻也未針對時代背景提供進一步資訊。

從背面的西式風格和上緣以英文鐫刻「相信上帝」特徵作推測，這枚金幣極有可能是旅美華僑或同情共和立場的美國人鑄造之金幣。孫中山在籌備革命期間經常走訪美國，以爭取各地華僑和美國政府對於革命的支持。武昌起義之際，孫中山本人就在美國，甚至是閱讀報紙方才知道起義成功的消息。

這枚金幣由美國鑄造的可能，一方面是硬幣以英文用作鐫刻。另一方面是這枚硬幣的「TRUST IN GOD」銘文，跟美國硬幣常見的「IN GOD WE TRUST」座用銘有異曲同工之妙。因此能夠大膽假設，這是一枚為慶祝中華民國的建立，而在美國鑄造的金幣。