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,Peiyang
清 光緒元寶
十文北洋造
Item number: A454
Year: AD 1903-1906
Material: Copper
Size: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm
Weight: 7.1 g
Manufactured by: Tianjin, Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Guangxu Yuanbao” Western-style copper coin minted between the Guangxu 29th and 32nd year (AD 1903-AD 1906) at the Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau in Tianjin, with a denomination of ten cash.
The coin features a beaded circle, with a central motif embodying distinct characteristics of the Beiyang factory, a circular-headed, five-clawed dragon spewing flames. On either side of the outer perimeter, there are eight-petalled floral decorations, although those on the left side are partially incomplete, with three petals connected. These floral motifs serve as delineations: the top edge displays “PEI YANG” in English phonetics, and the bottom edge indicates the denomination “TEN CASH.”
The reverse side of the coin also features a raised rim, with the central inscription in regular script Chinese characters reading “Guangxu Yuanbao”. On the outer edges, divided by a five-petal flower motif on each side, the top bears the Chinese script “PEI YANG” and the Manchu script “Guangxu Yuanbao”, while the bottom displays the denomination “Ten Cash.”
In June of the 28th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1902), Zhou Xuexi, serving under the Governor of Zhili Province Yuan Shikai, was tasked with reconstructing the mint in Tianjin that had been damaged during the Boxer Rebellion and the subsequent Eight-Nation Alliance invasion. By December of that year, the “Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau” was completed and immediately began production. Despite its name suggesting silver coinage, the bureau focused more on producing copper coins to address the shortage of copper currency in the market and because copper coinage was more profitable.
The circulation of Peiyang copper coins extended widely across the provinces of North China and Northeast China, with a total of 32 sales outlets, bringing substantial revenue to the mint. Nearby, the Governor of Shandong Province, Zhou Fu, capitalised on his father-son relationship with Zhou Xuexi, who oversaw the Peiyang Silver Coin Bureau, to borrow moulds for use in the independent production of copper coins in Shandong Province.
In the 32nd year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1906), the imperial court discovered that widespread production of copper coins across various regions had led to significant devaluation of the currency. Consequently, there were efforts to consolidate, reorganise, and impose production quotas on mints throughout the country.
As part of this adjustment, the Peiyang Mint Bureau underwent renaming and restructuring. It was successively renamed as the “Peiyang Mint Bureau North Branch of the Ministry of Revenue” and the “Central Mint Tianjin Branch.” Ultimately, in April of the 2nd year of Xuantong’s reign (AD 1910), its operations were terminated and merged into the Tianjin Mint Headquarters, thereby marking its historical conclusion.