This is a silver commemorative medal from the first year of the Republic of China (AD 1912), featuring the then Governor of Zhili Province, Zhang Xueliang, as the protagonist. The obverse side of the medal depicts an octagonal bust of Zhang Xueliang in military attire, with the inscriptions “Governor Zhang” and “Zhili” engraved on the left and right sides of the portrait respectively.
Above the right shoulder of the portrait is the signature of the sculptor Luigi Giorgi, bearing the inscription “GIORGI”. Luigi Giorgi, an Italian sculptor, was hired by the Tianjin Mint for a hefty annual salary of ten thousand taels around the time of the fall of the Qing Dynasty in AD 1910. He continued his service until the 9th year of the Republic of China (AD 1920), when the Beiyang Government could no longer afford his salary and dismissed him. During this decade, Luigi Giorgi not only designed the most significant modern Chinese coin, the “Yuan Big Head”, but also played a role in cultivating native Chinese sculptors based at the Tianjin Mint.
The reverse side of the medal features the intertwined “Five-Coloured Flag,” which was the national flag of the Republic of China at its inception. The upper edge of the medal is inscribed with the year of issue, “First Year of the Republic of China,” while the blank space at the bottom seems to be reserved for engraving the name of the awardee.
The medal is categorised into four grades based on the inscription at the bottom edge of the reverse side: “First-Class Commemorative Plaque, Second-Class Commemorative Plaque, Third-Class Commemorative Plaque (Bronze), and No Grade.” This item is a “No Grade” plaque, with the most significant difference being the reeded edge along its circumference compared to other grades.
This commentative medal is embedded in a silver dish crafted by the renowned Shanghai silversmith Zee Sung, with the manufacturing period estimated to fall roughly between AD 1927 and AD 1932.
Zhang Xueliang, a trusted subordinate of Yuan Shikai, assumed the important position of Governor of Zhili Province in March AD 1912, tasked with defending the capital city of Beijing. As an appointed administrative official without a local popular mandate, Zhang Xueliang faced impeachment by the provincial assembly after just five months in office. This forced Yuan Shikai to transfer him to the position of Governor of Fengtian Province in the Northeast. This medal is likely commissioned during Zhang Xueliang’s brief tenure in Zhili Province and minted by the Tianjin Mint within his jurisdiction.
This medal has long been mistakenly attributed to another prominent figure, Zhang Xun, in the auction world. Zhang Xun, the legendary figure who briefly restored the abdicated Qing Emperor Puyi to power during the 6th year of the Republic of China (AD 1917), did not hold the position of provincial governor during the Republican era. Furthermore, there is a significant disparity between the portrait on the medal and Zhang Xun’s actual appearance.
