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!
ROC, Half Cent,
ROC era 38, Guizhou Province
民國 半分銅元
民國三十八年 貴州省造
Item number: A332
Year: AD 1949
Material: Brass
Size: 34.1 x 34.1 mm
Manufactured by: Guizhou, Qingshan Mining and Pharmaceutical Factory
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024
This is a brass “Half Cent” coin minted in June of the 38th year of the Republic of China (AD 1949), commissioned by the Nationalist government of Guizhou during the concluding phase of the Chinese Civil War. This coin, produced by a private company, holds the distinction of being both the first copper coin in Guizhou’s history and the last copper coin circulated in China.
The obverse of the coin features a beaded circle with the characters “Copper Coin” written in regular script at the centre. The outer edges are divided by flat, four-petal floral ornaments on the left and right sides. The upper edge bears the inscription “Minted in Guizhou Province” in clerical script, while the lower edge indicates the denomination “Worth Half Cent of Silver Dollar.” Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, the lower edge’s inscription has become significantly worn and is now difficult to discern.
The reverse of the coin also features a beaded circle, with the character “Qian,” the abbreviation for Guizhou Province, inscribed in seal script at the centre. The lower edge of the outer ring displays a pair of intertwined ears of grain, symbolising prosperity. The upper edge is inscribed in regular script with the minting year “38th Year of the Republic of China.”
This copper coin’s issuance is closely tied to the economic disaster of the Gold Yuan during the final stages of the Chinese Civil War and the collapse of the Nationalist Government. As the Gold Yuan had become worthless in the eyes of the public, the Guizhou Provincial Government decided to establish a new financial system based on silver dollars to stabilise the local economy. To provide small denomination currency for exchanging silver dollars and for minor transactions, the provincial government, on June 9, AD 1949 (38th year of the Republic of China), commissioned the private enterprise “Qingshan Mining and Pharmaceutical Factory” to mint one million half-cent copper coins. This rare instance of “public-private co-minting” in Chinese history reflects the desperate economic conditions of the time.
Qingshan Mining and Pharmaceutical Factory utilised abandoned brass shell casings from the Nationalist Army to mint approximately 210,000 half-cent copper coins, with every 200 coins being exchangeable for one silver dollar. Initially, these copper coins were well received by the market; however, their low face value and the requirement to be used in conjunction with silver dollars gradually revealed their impracticality. Additionally, in December of the same year, the People’s Liberation Army formally took control of Guizhou, leading to the collapse of the Nationalist Government’s influence in the region. Consequently, this coin became a fleeting moment in history.