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!
Qing Dynasty,
Guang Ming Shi Jie Charm,
Guangxu 30th year,Bao Guang Bureau
清 光明世界花錢
光緒三十二年
寶廣局造
Item number: A110
Year: AD 1906
Material: Brass
Size: 16.76 x 17.08 mm
Weight: 1.3 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Guang Ming Shi Jie” brass coin, believed to have been produced in Guangdong during the late Qing Dynasty using mechanical minting technology. There is limited information available about the background of this coin. In the collecting community, there are three known versions: “double-sided identical,” “nine stars,” and “Bao Guang.” This specimen is the “nine stars” version. By comparing the script on this coin with that on Guangxu Tongbao copper coins produced by the Bao Guang Bureau in the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), collectors have determined that this coin likely dates from the same period.
The coin largely follows the appearance of square-holed coins but lacks distinct outer edges. Instead, there is a circular hole in the centre, likely made through mechanical means. On the obverse side of the coin are the four Chinese characters “Guang Ming Shi Jie,”(Brightness World) which may suggest a connection to Taoist rituals or concepts. On the reverse side, there are nine pentagonal stars arranged in a circular pattern. The nine stars on the coin are likely related to the Taoist belief in the “Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper,” which includes the seven visible stars of the Big Dipper and two additional, less visible stars. This belief is significant in Taoism, where the Northern Dipper is considered a powerful constellation with various spiritual and protective attributes.
Regarding the potential uses of this coin, there are two more credible theories:
1. It served as “ghost money” for burial with the deceased.
2.It was used as a gambling token.
Additionally, there are intriguing but less substantiated stories suggesting that the coin might have been minted by the secret anti- government organisation “Tiandihui” that was active in southern China during the Qing Dynasty, or by Puyi, the last Emperor of China, for use in the subsequently established Manchukuo.