Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Chinese Soviet Republic
5 Cents (Near Island Version)
中華蘇維埃共和國
五分 (近島版)
Item number: A384-2
Year: AD 1934
Material: Copper
Size: 26.5 x 26,5 x 1.5 mm
Weight: 7.1 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a five-cent copper coin issued on February 5, AD 1934, by the Chinese Soviet Republic, established by the Chinese Communist Party. It was circulated in the Central Soviet Area, the largest controlled region spanning across the borders of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. This five-cent copper coin was produced using numerous moulds, resulting in a variety of different versions.
Based on the relative positioning of Hainan Island and the mainland of China on the coin’s obverse, these versions can be broadly classified into five types: “No Island,” “Enclosed Island,” “Connected Island,” “Near Island,” and “Distant Island.” The present coin belongs to the “Near Island” type.
The obverse of the coin features a beaded circle enclosing an abstract map of China, including Outer Mongolia, shaped like a begonia leaf. At the centre is the emblem of the Chinese Communist Party, a hammer and sickle, symbolising the CCP’s aim to implement communist ideals throughout China. To the lower right of the map is an image representing Hainan Island, the largest island of China. The outer edge of the beaded circle is marked by five-pointed stars on either side. The upper rim bears the national title “Chinese Soviet Republic,” while the lower rim is inscribed with the exchange rate of the coin, “Each twenty coins equivalent to one national currency yuan.”
The reverse of the coin features the denomination “Five Cents” inscribed horizontally in the centre, topped by a five-pointed star. On either side of the denomination are bundles of rice and wheat tied together with a cross-shaped bow, symbolising the Chinese Communist Party’s intent to appeal to and represent the interests of the peasant class.
In AD 1927, following the split between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), initially brought together through Soviet mediation, a series of armed conflicts ensued, including the April 12 Purge and the Nanchang Uprising. Under the pressure of KMT’s suppression, the CCP was forced to withdraw from major cities such as Shanghai, retreating to rural areas to establish new bases.
In AD 1931, CCP representatives gathered in Ruijin, Jiangxi, to proclaim the establishment of the “Chinese Soviet Republic” (CSR). The following year, the “Chinese Soviet Republic Central Bank” was established to issue its own currency, including one and five cent copper coins, which were products of this period. However, by AD 1934, facing the KMT’s fifth encirclement campaign, the CCP was compelled to abandon its bases in southern China and move towards Shaanxi, marking the beginning of the “Long March.” This epic journey not only solidified Mao Zedong’s position as the paramount leader but also became a legendary chapter in the CCP’s history.