Item number: A427

Year: AD 1904-1906

Material: Copper

Size: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 7.5 g

Manufactured by: Jinan, Shandong Copper Coin Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

In July of the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1904), the Shandong Copper Coin Bureau in the provincial capital of Jinan, following the model from Guangdong, cast the “Guangxu Yuanbao” Western-style copper coin, with a denomination of Ten Cash.

The obverse of the coin features a beaded circle, within which lies a flying dragon like that found on the Guangdong provincial version. The dragon’s left forepaw grasps a dragon pearl. On either side of the outer rim, there is a five-petal flower as decoration, with the legend “SHANG-TUNG” on the top and the denomination “TEN CASH” at the bottom.

The reverse side of the coin also features a beaded circle, with the inner circle bearing the Chinese characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” and the Manchu script “Bao Dong.” On either side of the outer rim, there is a miniature five-petal flower. The inscription “Made in Shandong Province” is engraved at the top, while the denomination “Each coin equivalent to Ten Cash” is at the bottom. Depending on the position of the “Shandong” inscription, the coin can be classified into two types: “upper” and “horizontal.”

Additionally, the distinguishing feature of the “horizontal” version is the presence of the Manchu script “Guangxu Yuanbao” at the top. This item belongs to the “upper” version, which only features Chinese characters on the outer rim.

In the 28th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1902), upon the request of the Governor of Shandong Province, Yuan Shikai, the imperial court approved the minting of copper coins in Shandong Province. However, at the time of the order’s issuance, Yuan Shikai had already been transferred from the position of Governor of Shandong, and the task was taken over by his successor, Zhou Fu. With the assistance of Zhou Xuexi, the son of Zhou Fu who served as the Director-General of the Peiyang Mint Bureau, they obtained the copper coin moulds provided by the Peiyang Mint Bureau. Consequently, the first batch of coins produced in Shandong only differed from those of the Peiyang Mint in terms of the place name.

In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1904), in July, the Shandong Copper Coin Bureau in Jinan was officially completed. Initially, it used moulds from Guangdong to produce copper coins, but later, it also developed its own moulds. By the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), it was ordered to produce of the new-style Great Qing Copper Coin. In total, Shandong Province minted fewer than three hundred million pieces of Guangxu Yuanbao copper coins. However, during the minting process, various moulds were used simultaneously, resulting in a wide variety of coin designs.

物件編號: A427

年代: 公元 1904-1906 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.6 mm

重量: 7.5 g

製造地: 濟南, 山東銅元局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是光緒30年(公元1904年) 7月，位於省會濟南的「山東銅元局」參考廣東的模具，鑄造之「光緒元寶」西式銅元，其面額為十文。

錢幣正面有一道珠圈，裡面是一隻跟廣東省版本如出一轍的擺首飛龍，龍的左前爪還握著一粒龍珠。外圍的左右兩側各以一朵五瓣花為裝飾，上緣為地名「山東」(SHANG-TUNG)，下緣則是面額「十文」(TEN CASH)字樣。

錢幣背面亦有一道珠圈，內圈鐫刻漢字「光緒元寶」及滿文「寶東」字樣。外圍的兩側各有一朵迷你的五瓣花，上緣刻有「山東省造」，下緣則是面額「每元當制錢十文」字樣。按照「山東」字樣的位置差異，該硬幣分為「上山東」和「橫山東」兩種版型。除此之外，「橫山東」的特點是上緣有「光緒元寶」滿文字樣。本物件為外圍僅有漢文的「上山東」版本。

光緒28年(公元1902年)，朝廷經山東巡撫袁世凱奏請，批准於山東省鑄造銅元。不過在命令下達之際，袁世凱早已調離山東巡撫一職，由接替的周馥主持相關業務。周馥在擔任北洋銀元局總辦的兒子周學熙幫助下，先是獲得北洋銀元局提供的銅元模具。因此山東第一批生產的銅元和北洋之間僅有地名差異。

光緒30年(公元1904年) 7月，位於濟南的山東銅元局正式竣工，改以廣東的模具生產銅元，後續亦有本廠自行雕刻的模具。光緒32年(公元1906年)，奉旨改為鑄造新版的大清銅幣截止，山東省總計鑄造不足三億枚的光緒元寶銅錢。不過其在鑄造過程中，多種模具同時混搭使用，使其版型變化極為豐富。