Item number: A1233

Year: AD 1908-1911

Material: Gold

Size: 19.3 x 19.3 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 3.6 g

Manufactured by: Xinjiang Arsenal

Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2021

During the late Qing Dynasty, when Wang Shunan served as the financial commissioner of Xinjiang Province, he attempted to introduce a gold standard system and mint machine-struck gold coins in an effort to address Xinjiang’s heavy reliance on financial subsidies from other regions.

The obverse of the gold coin features two beaded circles around the perimeter, with the denomination “餉金一錢” (one mace in gold) inscribed in Chinese characters in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse has a single beaded circle around the edge, with a five-clawed coiled dragon, symbolising the Qing Empire, prominently displayed in the centre. The dragon is depicted exhaling a fireball, surrounded by bead-like clouds as decorative elements. Additionally, there is a variant of the coin where Chagatai script is inscribed around the coiled dragon.

Wang Shunan, observing that Western powers widely adopted the gold standard and noting Xinjiang’s difficulties in providing timely military payments, saw that gold coins from neighbouring Tsarist Russia were often well-received in the local market. Consequently, in May of the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign (1907), Wang petitioned to procure local placer gold in Xinjiang and experiment with minting gold coins. Three denominations—one qian, two qian, and five qian—were subsequently issued, all using the “Xiangping” weight unit, which was standard in Hunan. This choice was influenced by the fact that, after Xinjiang was established as a province, much of the local military and political power was controlled by the Hunan Army (Xiang Army) brought in by Zuo Zongtang during the pacification campaigns, along with their relatives and associates.

The gold coins overseen by Wang Shunan were exceptionally well-crafted upon their release. Many were exchanged by merchants for savings, leaving very few in actual market circulation. Due to their limited issuance and short production period, these coins are considered rare treasures by collectors.

物件編號: A1233

年代: 公元 1908-1911 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 19.3 x 19.3 x 0.8 mm

重量: 3.6 g

製造地: 新疆機器局

來源: 臺灣私人收藏 2021

這是於清朝末年，王樹枏擔任主管新疆省財務的布政司期間，為解決新疆高度仰賴外地補助的困境，嘗試引入金本位制度以機械鑄造的金幣。

金幣正面的周圍有兩道珠圈，正中央按上、下、右、左的順序，依序打印面額「餉金一錢」漢字字樣。錢幣背面的周圍有一道珠圈，正中央是象徵清帝國的五爪蟠龍，嘴巴吐有一粒火球，周圍以珠狀的雲朵佐飾。另外尚有一種在蟠龍周圍打印察合台文的版本。

王樹枏看到西方列強多採用金本位制，和新疆當地遇到兵餉無法按時收到的困境時，相鄰的沙俄出產的金幣往往受到市場歡迎。因此在光緒33年(公元1907年) 5月，王樹枏奏請在新疆當地採購沙金，就近試鑄金幣，先後有一錢、二錢和五錢三種面額，均以湖南使用的計重單位「湘平」作為計算。這是因為新疆建省後，掌控當地軍政大權的多是左宗棠從湖南帶來平叛的湘軍和其親友。

王樹枏監製的金幣發行後，品項極為精美，多被商家兌去儲蓄，實際於市場流通的數量極為稀少，且發行時間短，故為收藏家視為珍品。