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!
Qing Dynasty
Gold Salary, 1 Mace,
Xinjiang Province
清
餉金一錢
新疆省造
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.