Item number: A192

Year: AD 1903-1908

Material: Copper

Size: 32.5 x 32.5 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 14.95 g

Manufactured by: Chengdu Mint, Szechuen

Provenance: Teutoburger Münzauktion GmbH 2022

This is a copper coin with a denomination of twenty wen, minted at the Chengdu Mint in Sichuan from the 29th year of Guangxu (AD 1903), known as “Guangxu Yuanbao”. The obverse features two sets of beaded circles, with a dragon in the centre facing right, its body adorned with a trident decoration. The perimeter of the beaded circles is demarcated by hollow five-petalled flowers on both sides, with the minting location “Szechuen” and the denomination “20 Cash” inscribed in English above and below, respectively. The reverse also features two sets of beaded circles, with the inscription “Guangxu Yuanbao” surrounded by a floral design at the centre. The perimeter is divided by the Manchu script “Bao Chuen”, with “Made in Szechuen Province” and “Worth Twenty” inscribed in Chinese above and below, respectively.

The history of copper coin minting in Szechuen began in the 28th year of Guangxu (AD 1902), when the then Governor Cen Chunxuan advocated for the minting of copper coins, with official minting commencing the following year. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Szechuen hosted two copper coin minting factories, located in Chengdu and Chongqing respectively. Initially, materials for minting these coins were primarily sourced from spent ammunition cases; however, as demand increased, local copper mines were also exploited for coin production.

The Szechuen Mint produced “Guangxu Yuanbao” copper coins in three denominations: “Worth Five”, “Worth Ten”, and “Worth Twenty”. In the 30th year of Guangxu (AD 1904), a trial minting of a “Worth Thirty” denomination was conducted but was not adopted.

物件編號: A192

年代: 公元 1903-1908 年

材質: 銅

尺寸: 32.5 x 32.5 x 2.3 mm

重量: 14.95 g

製造地: 成都造幣廠，四川

來源: 條頓堡錢幣拍賣 2022

這是一枚光緒29年(公元1903年)起，於四川「成都造幣廠」鑄造之面額二十文的「光緒元寶」銅幣。銅幣正面有兩道珠圈，正中央為一條向右擺首的飛龍，龍身中段有一個三叉戟圖飾。珠圈外圍以兩側的中空五瓣花為分界，各自在上下方以英文標示鑄造地「四川」和面額「二十文」。銅幣背面亦有兩道珠圈，中央為環繞一朵花卉的「光緒元寶」四字。外圍以滿文「寶川」為分界，上下方各自以中文刻有「四川省造」和「當二十」等資訊。

四川鑄造銅元的歷史始於光緒28年(公元1902年)，時任總督的岑春煊倡議鑄造銅元，並且於隔年正式開鑄。於清末之際，四川分別在成都和重慶各有一鑄造銅元的工廠。起初鑄造銅元的材料多來自廢彈殼等，後續隨著需求增加，省方亦在地方就近開採銅礦鑄造。四川造「光緒元寶」共計有「當五、當十和當二十」三種面額。光緒30年(公元1904年)曾試鑄「當三十」面額但並未採納。