Item number: A1898

Year: AD 1906

Material: Brass

Size: 17.0 x 16.8 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 1.4 g

Manufactured by: Fujian, Fookien Official Silver Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

The Great Qing Copper Coin was a machine-struck copper coin that circulated during the late Qing Dynasty. Due to the chaotic state of circulation of the Guangxu Yuan Pao, the Qing government, in the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1905), undertook measures to reorganize the currency system. As part of this initiative, the minting of the Great Qing Copper Coin was mandated to replace the Guangxu Yuan Pao. The government established specifications for the design, composition, and weight, aiming for a more standardized production across different regions.

This piece was minted in Guangxu 32nd year (AD 1906) by three minting facilities in Fujian Province, under the official designation “Fookien Official Silver Bureau”, following the regulations set by the Ministry of Revenue.

During the Bing Wu year (AD 1906), the Fookien Official Silver Bureau minted Great Qing Copper Coins in three denominations: Ten Cash, Five Cash, and Two Cash. The obverse of the coin features a five-clawed dragon coiled in a dynamic pose, spitting a fireball, surrounded by decorative cloud patterns.

The reverse of the coin features a beaded circle, with the four Chinese characters “大清銅幣” (“Great Qing Copper Coin”) arranged in a top-bottom-right-left sequence. In the centre of the inscription, there is a small dot, above which is the abbreviation for Fujian, “閩”. Surrounding the beaded circle, on the left and right sides, the inscription “戶部” (“Board of Revenue”) is printed. At the top, the coin bears the sexagenary cycle year “丙午,” along with the Manchu inscription: “ᠸᡝᡳᠯᡝᡥᡝ ᠠᠨᡳᠶᠠᡳ ᡩᠣᠷᠣ ᡳ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᠷᠠᠩᡤᠠ” which translates as “Minted in the Guangxu era.” At the bottom, the denomination “當制錢二文” (“Equivalent to 2 Cash “) is inscribed.

In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1894), Fujian Province began using mechanised coin production, with a total of three mints involved in mass production. In the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), Fujian started minting Great Qing copper coins. Initially, these coins were well-received in the market. However, a subsequent price-cutting competition between the three mints led to an oversupply, resulting in poor sales and depreciation of the coins in Fujian. Ultimately, in May of the 33rd year of Guangxu (AD 1907), the court decided that only one mint would be retained in Fujian, and it was renamed the “Min Mint of the Board of Revenue,” coming directly under central control.

物件編號: A1898

年代: 公元 1906 年

材料: 黃銅

尺寸: 17.0 x 16.8 x 0.7 mm

重量: 1.4 g

製造地: 福建, 福建官局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

大清銅幣是清代末期流通的機製銅幣，由於光緒元寶流通狀況混亂，光緒31年(公元1905年)清廷為整頓幣制，規定改鑄「大清銅幣」以取代「光緒元寶」，並針對其式樣、成色、重量進行規範，各地鑄造較為統一。

此件為光緒32年(公元1906年)，福建省負責鑄幣的三間鑄幣廠以「福建官銀局」名義，按照戶部規格鑄造的大清銅幣。

福建官銀局在丙午年間鑄造的大清銅幣，總計有十文、五文和二文，三種面額。錢幣正面是周圍以雲朵環繞，一隻吐著火球的五爪蟠龍。

錢幣背面有一道珠圈，正中間是按照上、下、右、左順序，以漢字打印「大清銅幣」四字。文字的正中央還有一個圓點，上面打印福建的簡稱「閩」。珠圈外圍的左右兩側打印「戶部」，上緣以漢字標示干支紀年「丙午」和滿文「ᠸᡝᡳᠯᡝᡥᡝ ᠠᠨᡳᠶᠠᡳ ᡩᠣᠷᠣ ᡳ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᠷᠠᠩᡤᠠ」(光緒年鑄造) 字樣。下緣則是錢幣的面額「當制錢二文」。

光緒20年 (公元1894年)，福建省開始以機械鑄造錢幣，總計有三座鑄幣廠投入量產。光緒32年 (公元1906年)，福建開始鑄造大清銅幣，起初受到市場上的歡迎，但是隨後三廠惡性削價競爭，使得福建流通的大清銅幣陷入滯銷和貶值的困境。最終光緒33年 (公元1907年) 5月，朝廷決定福建僅能保留一座造幣廠並將其更名為「度支部造幣閩廠」，並且直屬於中央管轄。