Item number: A423

Year: AD 1902-1905

Material: Copper

Size: 28.0 x 28.0 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 7.25 g

Manufactured by: Anqing, Anhwai Copper Coin Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a Western-style “Guangxu Yuanbao” copper coin with a denomination of ten cash, minted by the Anhwai Copper Coin Bureau in Anqing between the 28th and 31st years of the Guangxu reign (AD 1902 to AD 1905).

The obverse of the coin features a beaded circle enclosing a five-clawed dragon exhaling a fireball. Initially, the first batch of copper coins minted by the Anhwai Copper Coin Bureau featured a flying dragon motif. However, production was temporarily halted due to mechanical issues, and when it resumed, a new design with a five-clawed coiled dragon was adopted.

The outer edge of the coin’s obverse features three six-petal floral decorations on each side, though due to the coin’s age, these details have become indistinct. These floral motifs serve as dividers, with the upper edge inscribed with the province name in Wade-Giles romanisation as “AN-HWAI.” The lower edge displays the denomination “TEN CASH.” Depending on the die used, the denomination inscription can also appear as “ONE SEN,” “TOEN CASH,” or be entirely blank.

The reverse of the coin also features a beaded circle, within which are the four Chinese characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” and the Manchu script “Bao An” at the centre. Based on the central design, Guangxu Yuanbao coins minted in Anhwai can be categorised into two types: “Manchu script” and “six-petal flower.” This coin belongs to the former category. The outer edge of the reverse side is divided by six-petal floral decorations on each side. The upper edge is inscribed with “Minted in Anhwai Province,” while the lower edge states the denomination “Each coin equivalent to Ten Cash.”

On April 10, Guangxu 28th year (AD 1902), the Anhwai Provincial Governor Nie Jiyun received imperial approval to reorganise the old machinery of the silver coin mint in Anqing and to borrow equipment from Guangdong, officially establishing the “Anhwai Copper Coin Bureau.” In October Guangxu 31th yaer (AD 1905), the bureau was restructured and renamed the “Anhwai Branch of the Ministry of Revenue Mint.”

In Guangxu 32nd year (AD 1906), the imperial court decided to merge the Anhwai Mint with the Jiangning Mint in Nanjing. However, during the summer and autumn of the same year, severe flooding in northern Anhwai necessitated urgent funding, allowing the mint to continue operations until April of the following year. Subsequently, the machinery and equipment were gradually transferred to Nanjing, and full operations ceased in Xuantong 2nd year (AD 1910).

物件編號: A423

年代: 公元 1902-1905 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 28.0 x 28.0 x 1.4 mm

重量: 7.25 g

製造地: 安慶, 安徽銅元局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚光緒28至31年(公元1902至1905年)間，位於安慶的「安徽銅元局」鑄造之「光緒元寶」西式銅元，面額為十文。

錢幣正面有一道珠圈，裡面是一隻口吐火球的五爪蟠龍。原先銅元局鑄造的第一批銅元，其採納的龍圖騰為飛龍。不過工廠途中一度因故障而停擺，待恢復生產後也一併改用五爪蟠龍的新模具。

外圈的左右兩側各有三朵六辦花飾，惜因年代久遠已不甚清晰。以花飾作為分界線，上緣是以威妥瑪拼音系統標示的「安徽」(AN-HWAI)英文字樣。下緣則是面額「十文」(TEN CASH)。面額的英文拼音按模具差異，尚有「ONE SEN」、「TOEN CASH」或完全留白的不同種類。

錢幣背面亦有一道珠圈，內部有漢字楷書「光緒元寶」四字和正中央的滿文「寶安」字樣。按照正中央的紋飾差異，安徽造光緒元寶分別有「滿文」和「六瓣花」兩種類型，此物件為前者。外圈的左右兩側以六瓣花飾為分界，上緣鐫刻「安徽省造」字樣，下緣則是面額「每元當制錢十文」。

光緒28年(公元1902年) 4月10日，安徽巡撫聶緝槼獲得朝廷奏准，於安慶加以整理銀元局的舊機器和向廣東借用機器，正式成立「安徽銅元局」。光緒31年(公元1905年) 10月，銅元局改制為「安徽戶部造幣分廠」。

光緒32年(公元1906年)，朝廷決定將安徽廠歸併於南京的江寧廠。然而同年的夏秋之際，皖北發生嚴重的水災急需款項，放寬工廠持續運作至隔年4月。後續機器設備陸續轉移至南京，直到宣統2年(公元1910年)方才全面停工。