Item number: A418

Year: AD 1903-1906

Material: Brass

Size: 28.0 x 28.0 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 7.45 g

Manufactured by: Zhejiang Copper Coin General Bureau, Hangzhou

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a Guangxu Yuanbao copper coin with a denomination of “Ten Cash,” machine-minted in Zhejiang Province in the 29th year of the Guangxu era (AD 1903).

Based on the differences in materials, the coins can be categorised into three types: copper, brass, and cupronickel. This item is the brass version.

The obverse of the coin features a five-clawed dragon leaping from the water, with a central dragon pearl emerging from its mouth. The reverse side has a bead circle, within which are the four Chinese characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” in regular script, and a dragon pearl motif in the centre. Based on this central decoration, Zhejiang-minted Guangxu Yuanbao coins are categorised into two versions: the “Six-petalled Flower” and the “Dragon Pearl.”

On the outer circle, the left and right sides are inscribed with the Manchu script “Bao Zhe” from left to right. The upper edge of the coin bears the inscription “Minted by Zhejiang Province,” while the lower edge denotes the denomination “Ten Cash.”

In the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1902), encouraged by Guangdong’s successful experience, the Qing court issued an edict promoting and permitting various provinces to mint Western-style copper coins. By the 29th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1903), Zhejiang Province commenced the minting of copper coins within the military arsenal factory in Hangzhou. This operation later expanded into the “Zhejiang Copper Coin General Bureau,” which took charge of these activities. Over time, the bureau minted approximately 800 million ten-cash copper coins.

However, in the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1906), due to the oversupply of machine-minted copper coins from various provinces, their value depreciated. To control the economy and reclaim the right to mint currency from local authorities, the Qing court ordered all provinces to cease the minting of copper coins. Consequently, the Zhejiang Copper Coin Bureau had to suspend its operations, and its responsibilities were transferred to the “Min-Zhe Copper Coin Branch” in Fuzhou, Fujian.

物件編號: A418

年代: 公元 1903-1906 年

材料: 黃銅

尺寸: 28.0 x 28.0 x 1.5 mm

重量: 7.45 g

製造地: 浙江銅元總局，杭州

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚光緒29年(公元1903年)，浙江省以機械鑄造的西式「光緒元寶」銅元，其面額為「十文」。按原料差異，能細分為「紫(紅)銅、黃銅和白銅」三種，該物件為黃銅材質的版本。

錢幣正面是一隻從水面躍出的五爪龍，正中央是從口中吐出的龍珠。錢幣背面則有一道珠圈，內部是楷書「光緒元寶」四字，正中央是一個龍珠紋飾。按照中央的裝飾差異，浙江造的光緒元寶能分為：「六瓣花」和「龍珠」兩種版別。外圍的左右兩側，按照左至右，寫有滿文「寶浙」兩字。上緣則是鐫刻地名「浙江省造」，下緣則是面額「當十」。

光緒27年(公元1902年)，由於廣東的成功經驗，朝廷上諭鼓勵和開放各省仿效鑄造西式銅元。光緒29年(公元1903年)，浙江省在杭州的軍裝局工廠內開始鑄造銅元，後續擴大為「浙江銅元總局」負責相關業務，先後鑄造高達8億枚左右的當十銅元。

不過光緒32年(公元1906年)，由於各省的機鑄銅元供過於求，導致其價格下跌。朝廷為控制經濟和收回地方鑄幣權，下令各省停止鑄造銅元。收到命令的浙江銅元局僅能停辦，其業務就此劃撥於福建福州的「閩浙銅元分局」。