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,
Guangxu Yuanbao,
10 Cash, Kiang-Nan Province
(Yǐ Sì & Manchu Script Version)
清 光緒元寶
十文 江南省造
(乙巳&滿文版)
Item number: A429
Year: AD 1905
Material: Copper
Size: 28.4 x 28.4 x 1.4 mm
Weight: 7.55 g
Manufactured by: Kiang-nan Mint Bureau Silver Dollar Bureau, Nanjing
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a copper coin of ten cash, produced in the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1905) by the “Kiang-nan Mint Bureau Silver Dollar Bureau” located in Nanjing. The coin follows the Western style and is inscribed with “Guangxu Yuanbao.”
The coin’s obverse features a bead circle, with the central motif of a right-facing five-clawed flying dragon, characterised by its slender form and intricate scales, with its left front claw holding a dragon pearl. The outer edge is divided by floral decorations on both sides, with “KIANG-NAN” inscribed at the top and the denomination “TEN CASH” at the bottom.
Kiangnan Province, with Nanjing as its capital, was an old administrative region from the early Qing Dynasty. Although it was divided into Jiangsu and Anhui provinces during the Qianlong period, the term “Kiangnan” continued to be used through the late Qing and early Republican eras.
The reverse of the coin also features a bead circle, with the four Chinese characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” inscribed inside. At the centre, the Manchu script “Bao Ning” is written from left to right. The sides of the coin are engraved with the cyclical year “Yǐ Sì,” while the top edge reads “Minted in Kiangnan Province.” The bottom edge bears the inscription “Each yuan is worth ten cash.”This phrasing used in Kiangnan Province was later adopted by other provinces.
During the Yǐ Sì year, copper coins produced in Kiangnan Province featured four different combinations based on the pairing of obverse and reverse dies: “flying dragon/water dragon” and “Manchu script/flower design.” Furthermore, the flying dragon motif can be further subdivided into two versions based on the flame details on the tail: “seven flames” and “eight flames.”
In the 27th year of Guangxu (AD 1901), Jiangsu Province, with Nanjing as its capital, began minting machine-struck copper coins, following Guangdong’s example. Starting the following year, the copper coins minted in Nanjing, marked “Kiangnan Province,” featured cyclical dating, which became a distinctive characteristic.
However, by the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), the oversupply of machine-struck copper coins led to a price decline. To control the economy and reclaim the right to mint coins, the Qing court ordered the cessation of copper coin minting across all provinces. Despite this, the regional governors, whose power had significantly increased since the Boxer Rebellion, were reluctant to relinquish the profits from minting. Consequently, the court’s ban was only partially effective, leading to a loss of public trust in copper coins and rendering them less effective in achieving their intended economic function.