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, 1 Mace & 4.4 Candareens
Fookien Province
民國 庫平一錢四分四釐
福建官局造
Item number: A499
Year: AD 1913
Material: Silver
Size: 23.5 x 23.5 x 1.3 mm
Weight: 5.2 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a two-mace silver coin from the second year of the Republic of China (AD 1913), issued by the Mint of the Fujian Military Governor’s Office, with a face value of 1 Mace and 4.4 Candareens.
The obverse of the silver coin features a toothed edge along the outermost rim. The upper and lower edges are inscribed with the English phrases “FOO-KIEN PROVINCE” and “1 MACE AND 44 CANDAREENS,” respectively, separated by four-petal floral designs on either side. At the centre, the number “20” is prominently displayed, adorned with a rope knot pattern, and encircled by a beaded border separating the central inscription from the outer text.
The reverse of the silver coin also features a toothed edge along the outermost rim. The upper and lower edges are inscribed in standard script with the phrases “福建官局造” (Minted by the Fukien Official Bureau) and “庫平一錢四分四釐” (1 Mace and 4.4 Candareens of Standard Silver), respectively. These inscriptions are separated on either side by four-petal floral designs, similar to those on the obverse. The centre contains a dot and the four characters “貳毫銀幣” (Two Mace Silver Coin) arranged in a vertical line, with a beaded border separating the central characters from the outer inscriptions.
In the first year of the Republic of China, the Fujian Military Government, also known as the Fujian Military Governor’s Office, was established in Fujian. Due to an urgent need for funds, the “Fujian Official Bureau” resumed its coin minting operations, producing copper coins known as “中華元寶(Zhonghua Yuanbao). The initial version of these coins featured the inscription “Minted by the Fujian Military Governor’s Office” on the reverse. However, the design of the moulds was crude, making the coins easy to counterfeit. Subsequently, the inscription was changed to “Minted by the Fujian Silver Coin Factory,” yet counterfeiting and other issues persisted (both types of coins can be viewed in this museum).
Therefore, from the first to the second year of the Republic of China, the government modelled the one-mace and two-mace silver coins of Fujian Province after those minted by the Guangdong Mint. Apart from differences in face value and some inscriptions, the designs of the two types of silver coins were identical.
In 1924 AD, a silver coin with the same design as this one was issued, differing only in the inscriptions and denomination on the reverse, which read “Minted in Fujian Province” and “20 Cents,” respectively. After Sun Yat-sen’s second revolution failed, the Beiyang Government took control, but following Yuan Shikai’s death, the region was occupied by various warlords. Since minting coins was highly profitable, the commander of the First Division stationed in Fujian partnered with merchants to issue this silver coin in AD 1924. To maximise profits, the coin was poorly crafted, and the silver-to-copper ratio rapidly changed from the original 70% silver and 30% copper to 30% silver and 70% copper.