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

This coin, minted in AD 1911 by the Yunnan Longyun Mint Bureau—established in Kunming and responsible for managing the entire province’s coinage operations since the 34th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1908)—was produced using the die popularly known as the “New Yunnan”, replacing the earlier “Old Yunnan” version. The coin in question is a Guangxu Yuanbao silver coin with a denomination of three mace and six candareens, equivalent to five jiao, or half a yuan. The term “Ban kai”, or “half kai”, originally referred to this five-jiao denomination. However, as the silver content of dragon-patterned coins (longyin) gradually declined and such coins became more widespread, “half kai” came to denote specifically the later half-yuan coins with lower silver content.

Compared to the “Old Yunnan” dies, the “New Yunnan” variant features smaller calligraphy, a more simplified design, and the omission of English inscriptions.

The obverse of the coin features two bead circles composed of dot-like beads without connecting fine lines. At the centre is a five-clawed coiled dragon clutching a flaming pearl, forming a stylised circular dragon motif. The dragon’s head bears a rounded crown with an elongated dot at its centre. Above the dragon’s head, the dorsal ridge contains twenty-five spines. The dragon’s wings lack scales, and the claws are relatively short and curled inward in an open fan-like manner, a form known as the “chicken claw dragon”. The dragon’s teeth are short, and the spaces between them are triangular in shape. The tail displays twelve barbs. On either side of the outer periphery, six-petalled bead floral patterns serve as decorative motifs. The flaming pearl in the centre contains two hollow rings, a feature referred to as the “two hollow-ring variety”, which was minted between AD 1911 and 1915. The combination of the “two hollow rings”, “chicken claw dragon”, and the floral pattern at the lower edge, known as the “double-ring flower”, is collectively classified as “Type 5”.

The reverse side also bears two bead circles. At the centre, the inscription “Guangxu Yuanbao” appears in both Chinese and Manchu script. The final stroke of the radical “ri” (sun) in the character “xu” is closed, a feature termed the “closed-mouth xu”. On the outer edges, six-petalled bead floral designs demarcate the sides, and variations exist among these floral patterns. The present coin exhibits the “double-ring flower” type, named for the twin circles at the centre of each six-petalled motif. At the top of the coin is the inscription “Made in Yunnan Province”. The “sheng” (province) character is distinctive in that the first vertical stroke of the radical “mu” (eye) aligns evenly with the final horizontal stroke, without protruding beyond it. At the bottom, the denomination is inscribed as “Kuping three mace and six candareens”. In the character “qian” (mace), the dot in the radical “jin” (metal) is straight, a form called “straight-dot jin”. In the character “fen” (candareen), the first horizontal stroke of the “dao” (knife) radical is unusually long, termed “long flat knife”.

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，等同於半元。「半開」之稱原意亦同於五角，但隨龍銀中含銀量逐漸降低並流布廣泛，「半開」逐漸專指晚期低含銀量的半元銀幣。「新雲南」相較於「舊雲南」的模具，字體較為嬌小，設計較為簡潔，並省略了英文銘文。

錢幣正面有兩道珠圈，珠圈形式為圓點，並無細線相串。正中央是一條吞吐焰珠的五爪蟠龍，盤據成團龍形式，龍首圓冠內應為長點，龍首上方龍身有龍刺二十五根，左右龍翼無鱗。五爪較短，箕張內扣，稱「雞爪龍」。龍牙較短，牙間刺成三角狀。龍尾有十二棘。外圍左右兩側以六瓣珠點花作為裝飾。火焰珠中有二空圈，稱「二空圈版」，此版鑄行於公元1911至1915年。而「二空圈」、「雞爪龍」與下段「雙圈花」可併稱為「版型五」。

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」，「緒」字中「日」旁末筆封閉，稱「閉口緒」。外圍左右兩側以六瓣珠點邊花作為分界，而邊花亦有版別，此幣邊花為「雙圈花」，因六辦珠花中央為雙圈而得名。銀幣上緣標示製造地點「雲南省造」，「省」字「目」旁首劃豎筆與末劃橫筆齊平，並未前出。下緣則是面額「庫平三錢六分」，「錢」字「金」旁之點為直點，稱「直點金」；「分」字「刀」旁首劃橫筆較長，稱「長平刀」。

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。