Item number: A454

Year: AD 1903-1906

Material: Copper

Size: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 7.1 g

Manufactured by: Tianjin, Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Guangxu Yuanbao” Western-style copper coin minted between the Guangxu 29th and 32nd year (AD 1903-AD 1906) at the Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau in Tianjin, with a denomination of ten cash.

The coin features a beaded circle, with a central motif embodying distinct characteristics of the Beiyang factory, a circular-headed, five-clawed dragon spewing flames. On either side of the outer perimeter, there are eight-petalled floral decorations, although those on the left side are partially incomplete, with three petals connected. These floral motifs serve as delineations: the top edge displays “PEI YANG” in English phonetics, and the bottom edge indicates the denomination “TEN CASH.”

The reverse side of the coin also features a raised rim, with the central inscription in regular script Chinese characters reading “Guangxu Yuanbao”. On the outer edges, divided by a five-petal flower motif on each side, the top bears the Chinese script “PEI YANG” and the Manchu script “Guangxu Yuanbao”, while the bottom displays the denomination “Ten Cash.”

In June of the 28th year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1902), Zhou Xuexi, serving under the Governor of Zhili Province Yuan Shikai, was tasked with reconstructing the mint in Tianjin that had been damaged during the Boxer Rebellion and the subsequent Eight-Nation Alliance invasion. By December of that year, the “Peiyang Silver Dollar Bureau” was completed and immediately began production. Despite its name suggesting silver coinage, the bureau focused more on producing copper coins to address the shortage of copper currency in the market and because copper coinage was more profitable.

The circulation of Peiyang copper coins extended widely across the provinces of North China and Northeast China, with a total of 32 sales outlets, bringing substantial revenue to the mint. Nearby, the Governor of Shandong Province, Zhou Fu, capitalised on his father-son relationship with Zhou Xuexi, who oversaw the Peiyang Silver Coin Bureau, to borrow moulds for use in the independent production of copper coins in Shandong Province.

In the 32nd year of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1906), the imperial court discovered that widespread production of copper coins across various regions had led to significant devaluation of the currency. Consequently, there were efforts to consolidate, reorganise, and impose production quotas on mints throughout the country.

As part of this adjustment, the Peiyang Mint Bureau underwent renaming and restructuring. It was successively renamed as the “Peiyang Mint Bureau North Branch of the Ministry of Revenue” and the “Central Mint Tianjin Branch.” Ultimately, in April of the 2nd year of Xuantong’s reign (AD 1910), its operations were terminated and merged into the Tianjin Mint Headquarters, thereby marking its historical conclusion.

物件編號: A454

年代: 公元 1903-1906 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

重量: 7.1 g

製造地: 天津, 北洋銀元局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是光緒29至32年(公元1903至1906年) 間，位於天津的北洋銀元局鑄造之「光緒元寶」西式銅元，其面額為十文。

錢幣正面有一道珠圈，內部是極度具備北洋特色，一隻口吐火球的圓頭五爪蟠龍。外圍的左右兩側各有一朵八瓣花飾，左側的花飾未打印完整，其中有三個花瓣相連在一起。以花飾作為分界線，上緣為英文拼音的「北洋」(PEI YANG)字樣，下緣則是面額「十文」(TEN CASH)。

錢幣背面亦有一道珠圈，裡面為漢字楷書「光緒元寶」字樣。外圍的左右兩側以五瓣花為分界，上緣有「北洋」和滿文「光緒元寶」四字，下緣則是面額「當制錢十文」字樣。

光緒28年(公元1902年) 6月，擔任直隸總督袁世凱屬下的周學熙，奉派在天津重建在八國聯軍一役中遭破壞的造幣廠。當年12月，「北洋銀元局」竣工隨即投入生產。即便造幣廠名掛著「銀元」，但為彌補市場上的銅元不足和鑄造銅元有較多的利潤，將主力投入銅元而非銀元的生產。北洋造銅元的流通地點廣布華北和東北各省，總計32所銷售點為造幣廠帶來龐大的收益。鄰近的山東省巡撫周馥甚至藉父子關係，向統籌北洋銀元局的兒子周學熙借模具，用於山東省自行鑄造的銅元。

然而在光緒32年 (公元1906年)，朝廷發現各地濫造銅元致使價格大幅貶值，對於各地的造幣廠進行整併、改制和制訂生產限額。北洋銀元局在這波調整中，先是陸續改名為「直隸戶部造幣北分廠」和「度支部造幣津廠」。最終於宣統2年(公元1910年) 4月，業務遭裁撤和併入天津造幣總廠就此走入歷史。