Item number: A469

Year: AD 1926

Material: Brass

Size: 35.3 x 35.3 x 1.7 mm

Weight: 14.25 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This brass coin was manufactured by the Sichuan Chengdu Mint in the 15th year of the Republic of China (AD 1927 ). Officially named the “Jiahe Copper Coin,” its obverse side bears the denomination “200” and features an ear of rice motif around the edge, symbolising “Jiahe.” The centre displays a radiant arc pattern. On the reverse side, the top bears the inscription “15th Year of the Republic of China,” indicating the year of manufacture. The centre features a plum blossom with the character “Chuan” (川), representing the Sichuan Chengdu Mint, while the bottom inscription reads “Each worth two hundred cash,” indicating the face value.

During the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, Sichuan province was heavily afflicted by the rampant minting of copper coins. The Sichuan Mint often became a private factory for warlords to fund military expenses and accumulate wealth.

In the 13th year of the Republic of China (AD 1924 ), the then warlord ruler of Chengdu, Yang Sen, sought to gain enormous profits by extensively privately minting the 15th year “Chuan” Jiahe copper coins, including denominations of fifty, one hundred, and two hundred cash. The “200” cash coin discussed herein was born in this context. To produce more copper coins, Yang Sen deliberately reduced the weight of the Chuan coins, thus facilitating large-scale minting, particularly of the 200 cash coins. Consequently, Sichuan was flooded with these lightweight copper coins, causing confusion among merchants and citizens. To distinguish them, society at the time referred to the later lighter-minted coins as “Little Two Hundred.”

In the 24th year of the Republic of China (AD 1935), Sichuan began circulating the legal tender of the Nationalist Government, and copper coins gradually withdrew from the market, although substantial hoards remained among the populace. It was not until the 38th year of the Republic of China (AD 1949), due to the financial collapse caused by the Nationalist Government’s failed governance, that copper coins, alongside silver dollars, regained widespread usage as subsidiary currency.

物件編號: A469

年代: 公元 1926 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 35.3 x 35.3 x 1.7 mm

重量: 14.25 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

此枚銅幣是由民國十五年(公元 1927年）的四川成都造幣廠製造，官方名稱為「嘉禾銅幣」。該枚銅幣正面印有幣值「200」字樣，銅幣外緣為稻穗狀，象徵「嘉禾」，中間則為弧形光芒狀。銅幣背面上方印有「中華民國十五年」，代表製造年份，中間為一梅花狀，印有漢字「川」，代表出自四川成都造幣廠，下方漢字面額「每枚當貳百枚」。

四川省在清末、民國時期，是濫鑄銅幣的重災區。四川造幣廠也時常成為軍閥籌措軍事費用、收納錢財的私人工廠。民國十三年（公元 1924年），時任成都軍閥統治者楊森，為了獲取暴利，大肆私鑄民國十五年「川」字嘉禾銅幣，包括了五十、一百和二百文三種。本文提及的「200」文銅幣便是在此背景下誕生。為了製造更多銅元，楊森特意將川字貨幣減重，藉此大量鑄造，尤以200文銅幣為最，一時間，四川省充斥著鋪天蓋地的減重銅幣，商民們也被混淆。為了分辨，當時社會便將後來減重所鑄的銅元稱之為「小二百」。

民國24年（公元 1935年），四川開始流通國民政府的法定貨幣，銅幣逐漸退出市場，但民間仍保有大量窖藏。直到民國38年（公元 1949年），因國民政府失敗的治理而導致的金融崩潰，使法幣毫無信用可言，四川的銅幣才又配合銀元作為輔幣重新廣泛使用。