Item number: A499

Year: AD 1913

Material: Silver

Size: 23.5 x 23.5 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 5.2 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a two-mace silver coin from the second year of the Republic of China (AD 1913), issued by the Mint of the Fujian Military Governor’s Office, with a face value of 1 Mace and 4.4 Candareens.

The obverse of the silver coin features a toothed edge along the outermost rim. The upper and lower edges are inscribed with the English phrases “FOO-KIEN PROVINCE” and “1 MACE AND 44 CANDAREENS,” respectively, separated by four-petal floral designs on either side. At the centre, the number “20” is prominently displayed, adorned with a rope knot pattern, and encircled by a beaded border separating the central inscription from the outer text.

The reverse of the silver coin also features a toothed edge along the outermost rim. The upper and lower edges are inscribed in standard script with the phrases “福建官局造” (Minted by the Fukien Official Bureau) and “庫平一錢四分四釐” (1 Mace and 4.4 Candareens of Standard Silver), respectively. These inscriptions are separated on either side by four-petal floral designs, similar to those on the obverse. The centre contains a dot and the four characters “貳毫銀幣” (Two Mace Silver Coin) arranged in a vertical line, with a beaded border separating the central characters from the outer inscriptions.

In the first year of the Republic of China, the Fujian Military Government, also known as the Fujian Military Governor’s Office, was established in Fujian. Due to an urgent need for funds, the “Fujian Official Bureau” resumed its coin minting operations, producing copper coins known as “中華元寶(Zhonghua Yuanbao). The initial version of these coins featured the inscription “Minted by the Fujian Military Governor’s Office” on the reverse. However, the design of the moulds was crude, making the coins easy to counterfeit. Subsequently, the inscription was changed to “Minted by the Fujian Silver Coin Factory,” yet counterfeiting and other issues persisted (both types of coins can be viewed in this museum).

Therefore, from the first to the second year of the Republic of China, the government modelled the one-mace and two-mace silver coins of Fujian Province after those minted by the Guangdong Mint. Apart from differences in face value and some inscriptions, the designs of the two types of silver coins were identical.

In 1924 AD, a silver coin with the same design as this one was issued, differing only in the inscriptions and denomination on the reverse, which read “Minted in Fujian Province” and “20 Cents,” respectively. After Sun Yat-sen’s second revolution failed, the Beiyang Government took control, but following Yuan Shikai’s death, the region was occupied by various warlords. Since minting coins was highly profitable, the commander of the First Division stationed in Fujian partnered with merchants to issue this silver coin in AD 1924. To maximise profits, the coin was poorly crafted, and the silver-to-copper ratio rapidly changed from the original 70% silver and 30% copper to 30% silver and 70% copper.

物件編號: A499

年代: 公元 1913 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 23.5 x 23.5 x 1.3 mm

重量: 5.2 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚中華民國二年（公元1913年），由福建都督府下的鑄幣廠所發行的「貳毫銀幣」，面額為一錢四分四釐。

銀幣的正面的最外圍為齒邊，接著上下緣環分別環有「FOO-KIEN PROVINCE」與「1 MACE AND 44 CANDAREENS」的英文鐫刻，中間兩側以四瓣花瓣的圖案隔開。正中央則標示數字20元，數字則用繩結紋裝飾，並以珠圈隔開外圍的文字。

銀幣的背面最外緣同樣為齒邊，上下緣分別用標楷體環有「福建官局造」與「庫平一錢四分四釐」的字樣，兩側文字間與正面相同的用四瓣花的圖樣隔開。中央為原點與「貳毫銀幣」的四字對讀，並以珠圈分隔內外的文字。

民國元年於福建成立中華民國軍政府閩督府，又稱「福建都督府」。最初因急需金錢，重啟鑄造銅幣為業務的「福建官局」，並生產「中華元寶」。初版背面有「閩督府造」，然而模具設計粗糙，易於仿冒，後又改為「福建銀幣廠造」，然還是有仿冒等問題（以上兩枚錢幣皆可於本博物館查看）。

因此，當時政府於民國元年至民國二年參考廣東省鑄造廠的壹毫與貳毫銀幣，完全仿造其版別鑄造福建省相同幣值的銀幣。除去面額與部分文字的差異，兩款銀幣設計完全相同。

在公元1924年也發行與此枚印幣相同設計的銀幣，只有背面文字以及面額不同，分別為「福建省造」與「20 Cent」。因孫中山二次革命失敗，由北洋政府接管，但袁世凱死後，又為各軍閥所佔領。由於鑄造錢幣為一大油水，因此公元1924年駐防福建的第一師師長與商人合夥發行此銀幣，為了獲得更大的利潤，製作極不精良，銀與銅成份比例，也從最初銀七銅三快速轉變為銀三銅七。