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,
Jia Chen Guangxu Yuanbao,10 Cash
Guangxu 30th year,Fengtian Province
清 甲辰光緒元寶十文
光緒三十年奉天省造
Item number: A448
Year: AD 1905
Material: Brass
Size: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.4 mm
Weight: 6.6 g
Manufactured by: Fengtian, Fengtian Bureau of Minting Silver Coin
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a coin minted by the “Fengtian Bureau of Minting Silver Coin” in March of the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1905). It was during the chaos of the Russo-Japanese War when the Qing court regained control of the bureau from the retreating Russian forces and minted these Guangxu Yuanbao coins with the cyclical year “Jia Chen.”
The central motif on the obverse side of the coin features a slender, five-clawed coiling dragon breathing fire. The coin is divided by six-petal floral patterns on each side, with the inscription “FUNG-TIEN PROVINCE” at the top and “TEN CASH” at the bottom, denoting the minting location and the coin’s denomination.
The reverse side of the coin features a beaded border, with the central inscription in Chinese characters reading “Guangxu Yuanbao” and in Manchu script “Fen Bao”. On either side of the outer rim, the coin is divided by the sexagenary cycle year “Jia Chen”. The top bears the inscription “Fengtian Province Mint”, while the bottom displays the denomination as “Ten Cash.”
Fengtian Arsenal was established in the 22nd year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (AD 1896), tasked with the production of military equipment and minting coins. In the 26th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1900), the arsenal unfortunately faced destruction during the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance and was occupied by Russian forces until April of the 29th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1903). However, shortly after resuming operations, it was further impacted by the Russo-Japanese War. It wasn’t until March of the 30th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1905) that the arsenal returned to normal production. The arsenal underwent several name changes over the years and is now known as “Shenyang Mint Co., Ltd.”, directly under the People’s Bank of China.