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Qing Dynasty
Great Qing Copper Coin
10 Cash, Ministry of Revenue
(Ding Wei Version)
清
大清銅幣
十文
戶部
(丁末版)
Item number: A1353
Year: AD 1907
Material: Copper
Size: 27.0 x 27.0 mm
Manufactured by: Tianjin Central Mint
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024
This is a copper coin mechanically minted in the 33rd year of Guangxu (AD 1907) by the Tianjin Central Mint, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, which managed the national finances. The coin is a “Great Qing Copper Coin” with a denomination of ten cash.
The obverse of the coin features a five-clawed coiled dragon spewing a fireball, surrounded by a decorative beaded circle. Along the outer edge, the top is inscribed with the Chinese characters “光緒年造” (Guangxu Year Minted), while the bottom displays the English inscription “TAI-CHING TI-KUO COPPER COIN” (Great Qing Copper Coin) in Wade-Giles romanisation.
The reverse of the coin also features a beaded circle. Inside the circle, the Chinese characters “大清銅幣” (Great Qing Copper Coin) are engraved in the order of top, bottom, right, left. Surrounding the inner circle is another beaded border, with inscriptions in Manchu script along the top edge: “ᠸᡝᡳᠯᡝᡥᡝ ᠠᠨᡳᠶᠠᡳ ᡩᠣᠷᠣ ᡳ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᠷᠠᠩᡤᠠ” (Guangxu Year Minted). At the bottom edge, the denomination is indicated in Chinese characters as “當制錢十文” (Value Ten Cash). On the right and left sides, the issuing year is noted using the sexagenary cycle as “丁未” (Ding Wei). Compared to other provincial mints, the Tianjin Central Mint omitted the central dot often used to denote the province’s abbreviation.
In the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1906), the Ministry of Revenue, which managed the nation’s finances, discovered that the widespread minting of “Guangxu Yuanbao” coins by various provinces had caused a devaluation crisis. To address this, the Ministry intervened and revoked the minting rights of the provinces, ultimately retaining only six branch mints. According to Ministry regulations, the moulds used by local mints were uniformly issued by the Ministry, with the province’s name engraved in the centre of the reverse side to facilitate central quality inspections.
In April of the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign (AD 1911), the government further promulgated the “Regulations on Currency System,” establishing a new system with the Great Qing silver coins as the standard and the Great Qing copper coins as subsidiary currency. However, the modernisation of the currency reform was halted by the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution in the same year.