Item number: A1933

Year: AD 1911-1912

Material: Cupronickel

Size: 24.7 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 4.4 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a “Fujian Cash” square-holed coin cast in cupronickel using traditional manual recasting techniques between AD 1911 and AD 1912. It was issued by Fujian Province in response to the Xinhai Revolution, during its declaration of independence from the Qing Empire and the subsequent establishment of the Republic of China. The coin has a denomination of 2 cash.

Following the Xinhai Revolution, Fujian Province issued the “Fujian Tongbao,” which was the last square-holed coin in Chinese history. Additionally, the Fujian Mint produced pattern coins with the inscriptions “Fujian Cash” and “Min Cash,” but these were never put into circulation.

The obverse of the coin features the inscription “Fujian Province Minted” (福建省造) in Song-style Chinese characters, arranged in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. On the reverse, the denomination “Two Cash” (二文) is engraved on the left and right sides.

By the late Qing period, Fujian Province had already adopted European-imported minting machines at its provincial mint in Fuzhou. The return to traditional manual sand casting for the Fujian Tongbao was likely due to the political turmoil during the transition of power, which left the new government unable to produce coinage dies in time. As Fujian’s political situation stabilised, mechanised minting resumed, leading to the Fujian Tongbao’s eventual withdrawal from circulation.

物件編號: A1933

年代: 公元 1911-1912 年

材質: 白銅

尺寸: 24.7 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

重量: 4.4 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是公元1911至1912年間，福建省在響應辛亥革命脫離清帝國宣布獨立和中華民國創立之際，以手工翻鑄的傳統工法鑄造的「福建省造」方孔錢，材質為白銅，面額為二文。

福建省在辛亥革命之後，曾發行過中國歷史上最後一種方孔錢形制的「福建通寶」。此外福建造幣廠還有試鑄「福建省造」和「閩省通用」兩種方孔錢樣幣，但是最終沒有流通。

錢幣正面以宋體漢字按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻「福建省造」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側則鐫刻面額「二文」。

福建省在清末之際，於省會福州的鑄幣廠已經採用歐洲進口的鑄幣機。之所以福建通寶重回傳統的人工翻鑄，可能是因為改朝換代之際的混亂下，新政府來不及替新貨幣製造模具，因此先以傳統的手工鑄造頂替。待福建政局步入正軌之後，機械鑄幣又重新恢復也讓福建通寶退出歷史的舞台。