Item number: A1646

Year: AD 1908

Material: Copper

Size: 15.4 x 15.4 mm

Manufactured by: Nanjing, Jiangning Coin Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

The obverse side of this coin is divided into inner and outer circles. At the center of the inner circle is the character “鄂” (È), with “Guangxu” (the reign title) inscribed above and “One Wen” (One Cash) below, all written in regular script. “È” refers to Hubei, the old name of the province, indicating that this coin was minted in Hubei. The right side of the coin shows the character “Wu” (戊), and the left side shows “Shen” (申), denoting the year of minting as “Wushen Year,” corresponding to 1908 in the Gregorian calendar.

The reverse side features a dragon, symbolizing power, authority, and good fortune. The dragon’s body is coiled with its head in the center, and the intricate details reflect the dragon design typical of the Qing Dynasty. Dragons were commonly depicted on ancient Chinese official currency, representing the state. The design of this coin demonstrates the minting craftsmanship of the time and highlights the significance of the dragon in Chinese culture.

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, including the Jiangning Mint in Nanjing. 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.

物件編號: A1646

年代: 公元 1908 年

材料: 銅

尺寸: 15.4 x 15.4 mm

製造地: 南京, 江寧局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這枚硬幣正面分為內外圈，內圈中央為一「甯」字，上置「光緒」，下置「一文」，皆為楷書。甯字為南京舊稱，代表該枚硬幣在南京鑄造。正面硬幣的右側為「戊」、左側為「申」，表示製造年份為「戊申年」，戊申年為西元1908年。

這枚硬幣背面圖案為一條龍，象徵著力量、權威和吉祥。龍的身體盤繞，頭部居中，細節精緻，代表清朝的龍紋設計。龍通常出現在古代中國的官方貨幣上，代表國家的象徵。這枚硬幣的設計顯示出當時鑄幣工藝的技術，以及龍在中國文化中的重要地位。

光緒32年(公元1906年)，掌管全國財政的戶部發現，地方各省濫造「光緒元寶」造成貨幣貶值的危機。戶部為此介入和收回地方造幣權，最終僅保留六家分廠，其中一家就是南京的江寧廠。按照戶部的規定，地方各廠使用的模具皆由戶部統一發放，唯有在背面正中央鐫刻省名，以便於中央考察品質。