Item number: A1696

Year: AD 1911-1915

Material: Silver (.800)

Size: 32.0 x 32.0 mm

Manufactured by: Yunnan Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

The Yunnan Mint, established in the 34th year of Guangxu (AD 1908), was responsible for the province’s coinage operations and was located in Kunming. Beginning in AD 1911, the bureau introduced a new minting mould, commonly referred to as “New Yunnan,” replacing the earlier “Old Yunnan” design.

The New Yunnan version features smaller characters, a more simplified design, and the omission of English inscriptions compared to the Old Yunnan mould. The coin has a denomination of 3 mace 6 candareens, equivalent to five jiao (half a yuan), and is colloquially known as “Ban Kai” (Half Kai).

The obverse of the coin features two beaded circles, with a five-clawed coiled dragon at the centre, depicted spewing a flaming pearl. The outer rim is adorned with six-petalled bead flowers on both sides. However, due to extensive wear over time, these decorative elements have become heavily eroded, leaving their outlines barely discernible. The flaming pearl at the centre contains two hollow circles, a characteristic referred to as the “double-circle variety,” which was minted between AD 1911 and AD 1915. Other varieties include the “single-circle variety” and the “four-circle variety.”

The reverse of the coin also features two beaded circles, with “光緒元寶” (Guangxu Yuanbao) inscribed at the centre in both Chinese characters and Manchu script. The outer rim is decorated with six-petalled bead flowers on both sides, serving as dividers. The upper edge bears the inscription “雲南省造” (Minted in Yunnan Province), while the lower edge denotes the denomination as “庫平三錢六分” (Kuping 3 Mace 6 Candareens).

Yunnan, situated on the southwestern frontier of China, had been inundated with foreign silver coins—including those from France, Britain, and Mexico—since the late Qing Dynasty’s opening of treaty ports. Due to the region’s geographical isolation and underdeveloped land transportation, silver coins minted in other Chinese provinces encountered significant difficulty in entering Yunnan’s market.

In an effort to expel foreign silver from circulation, Ding Zhenduo, then Viceroy of Yunnan and Guizhou, submitted a memorial to the imperial court in the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), requesting the establishment of a Western-style mint in Yunnan. Upon imperial approval, the Yunnan Longyun Bureau was established, and by the 34th year of Guangxu (AD 1908), the mint commenced operations.

Following the establishment of the Republic of China, the Yunnan Mint remained operational. After the Xinhai Revolution (AD 1911), its administration was transferred to provincial control and it was formally renamed the Yunnan Mint. In AD 1913, the mint was placed under central government administration and rebranded as the Yunnan Branch of the Ministry of Finance Mint. However, in AD 1915, following the Yunnan Anti-Yuan Rebellion and the province’s declaration of independence, it reverted to the name Yunnan Mint.

Successive warlords and central governments governing Yunnan each sought to modernise the currency system. However, political instability led to monetary disorder, inadvertently allowing the Guangxu Yuanbao to remain widely accepted in the market, with Ban Kai (Half Kai) silver coins being the most prevalent. Subsequent administrations resorted to recasting inferior-quality Guangxu Yuanbao coins, using debased silver as a means to sustain military funding. The mint continued its operations until AD 1950, when it was permanently closed following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

物件編號: A1696

年代: 公元 1911-1915 年

材質: 銀 (800‰)

尺寸: 32.0 x 32.0 mm

製造地: 雲南造幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是光緒34年 (公元1908年)，主責全省鑄幣業務並設置於昆明的雲南龍雲局，於公元1911年，以俗稱「新雲南」模具，取代「老雲南」，所發行之光緒元寶銀幣，面額為三錢六分，即五角，俗稱半開。「新雲南」相較於「舊雲南」的模具，字體較為嬌小，設計較為簡潔和省略英文銘文。

錢幣正面有兩道珠圈，正中央是一條吐出火球的五爪蟠龍，外圍左右兩側以六瓣珠點花作為裝飾，惜因年代久遠磨蝕嚴重，其輪廓已近乎消失。火球中有二空圈，稱為「雙圈版」或「二空圈版」，此版鑄行於公元1911至1915年。其他的版型還有「單圈版」與「四圈版」。

錢幣背面也有兩道珠圈，正中央是以漢字和滿文標示的「光緒元寶」。外圍左右兩側以六瓣珠點花作為分界，上緣標示製造地點「雲南省造」，下緣則是面額「庫平三錢六分」。

雲南地處西南邊陲，自清末開港通商以來，市場上充斥著法國、英國和墨西哥等外國的銀元，國內其他省份鑄造的銀元因為陸上交通不便，反而難以進入雲南市場。因此為驅逐洋銀，在光緒32年 (公元1906年)，時任雲貴總督丁振鐸奏請朝廷在雲南設立西式造幣廠，得到奏准後設雲南龍雲局，於光緒34年 (公元1908年) 正式開工鑄造。雲南造幣廠在民國成立後仍維持營運，辛亥革命後(公元1911年)，改歸省辦，更名雲南造幣廠。公元1913年收歸中央部辦，改稱財政部雲南造幣分廠。公元1915年，雲南討袁起義，宣布獨立，又改回稱雲南造幣廠。雲南歷任軍閥或執政的中央政府，皆欲更新幣制，但政局的不穩反而造成幣制混亂，反而使「光緒元寶」持續受市場接受，其中又以半開銀幣為主。歷任政府亦因此復鑄成色低劣的光緒元寶，以次充好，以補軍資，直到公元1950年中共建政後方才走入歷史。