This is a “Guangxu Yuanbao” Western-style copper coin, minted in Jiangsu Province between the 27th and 32nd years of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1901-AD 1906), with a denomination of ten cash. Jiangsu, being one of the first provinces to mint Western-style copper coins, produced a variety of designs and numerous variants.
The obverse of the coin features a single beaded circle, within which is a right-facing five-clawed flying dragon holding a dragon pearl in its left forepaw. The periphery is divided by five-petalled floral ornaments on each side, with the upper edge inscribed in Wade-Giles romanisation as “Kiang-Soo” (Jiangsu) and the lower edge displaying the denomination “Ten Cash.”
The reverse side of the coin also features a beaded circle, with the Chinese characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” and a five-petalled flower motif. Depending on the central design, coins without the cyclical year can be categorised into two versions: “Five-Petal Flower” and “Manchu Script.” The sides of the coin’s outer edge are divided by the Manchu script “Bao Su,” with the top edge inscribed with “Made in Kiang-Soo Province” and the bottom edge inscribed with “Each yuan is worth ten cash.”
In the 21st year of Guangxu (AD 1901), inspired by the successful implementation of Western-style copper coins in Guangdong and Fujian, Jiangsu Province initially minted copper coins through the Nanjing “Kiang-nan Mint Bureau Silver Dollar Bureau.” Subsequently, in the 30th year of Guangxu (AD 1904), the newly completed “Suzhou Copper Coin Bureau” also began minting copper coins. However, in the 26th year of Guangxu (AD 1906), due to the nationwide overproduction of copper coins leading to a decline in their value, the Ministry of Revenue started to reorganise the provincial mints.
Particularly in Jiangsu Province, where there were three factories: Kiang-nan, Suzhou, and Tsing-Kiang. According to the court’s regulations, Jiangsu’s daily production was not to exceed one million coins, but the reality was that Suzhou alone exceeded this quota. Consequently, the court promptly shut down the Suzhou Copper Coin Bureau, with its machinery and equipment being transferred to the Kiang-nan factory in Nanjing, thus ending its operations.
