Item number: A1858

Year: AD 1644-1911

Material: Silver

Size: 55.4 x 40.5 x 17 mm

Weight: 112.35 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This silver ingot is a silver sycee of a popular form during the Qing dynasty. The sycee, known as “ke” (錁), is a small-scale silver ingot, shaped like a small boat or a steamed bun, with an elliptical form. Its weight varied between one, two, three, or even five taels. This particular sycee weighs approximately three taels (according to the Kuping liang system).

When viewed from above, the ingot appears elliptical, with a flattened top surface featuring fine spiral patterns, while the edges slightly protrude beyond the main surface. At the centre, a square seal bearing the character “Fu” (福) is imprinted. During the late Ming period, these fine spiral patterns were regarded as an indicator of high silver purity, as they formed naturally during the casting process. Later, artificial methods were developed to replicate these patterns, rendering them unreliable as a measure of purity. Consequently, the term “sycee” (紋銀) became a mere accounting and taxation unit rather than an actual purity indicator. The “Fu” character represents a traditional auspicious inscription, symbolising blessings and well-being, often used for gift exchange or ceremonial purposes. It does not refer to Fujian Province, where sycee bore the “Min” (閩) seal to indicate their origin.

From a side view, the sycee takes on a semi-elliptical shape, with irregular straight edges. The reverse side displays minor concave pores, a natural result of hand-cast silver ingots.

Silver sycee was an essential unit of silver currency during the Ming and Qing dynasties, serving as a weighable currency widely used in commercial transactions, government taxation, and savings. Sycee came in various forms, the most common being the “yuanbao” shape, which was elliptical or boat-shaped, with slightly upturned ends and a shallow depression in the middle, making it convenient for stacking and transport. Other variants included rectangular, oval, horseshoe-shaped, steamed bun-shaped, and troughed silver (槽銀) types.

The weight of silver sycee was measured in taels, with standard sizes of five, ten, fifty, and one hundred taels. In regional circulation, smaller denominations, such as one-tael or half-tael sycee (small yuanbao), were also prevalent. The main issuers of Qing dynasty silver sycee included officially minted tax-payment ingots, salt-tax sycee used by salt merchants, and privately minted sycee produced by silver banks, money houses, or commercial firms for trade and storage. The purity and weight of these ingots were determined either by the market or by official assessment, and they were often stamped with public valuation marks to ensure credibility.

The Qing government established state-run foundries across various regions, specifically to mint tax-payment sycee, which typically bore inscriptions such as “Kuping” (庫平) or “Public Valuation” (公估), indicating compliance with official purity standards. Some privately minted sycee featured auspicious inscriptions such as “Fu” (福), “Xi” (囍), or “Shou” (壽), often created for festive occasions, weddings, or longevity celebrations.

In Yunnan, Sichuan, and other trade-intensive regions, the variety of sycee forms was even greater, including Pai Fang sycee, three-trough sycee, and horseshoe sycee. The use of silver sycee persisted until late Qing, but as silver coins (yuan) gained popularity during the Guangxu reign, and particularly with the abolition of the tael system in favour of the yuan during the Republic of China, sycee gradually disappeared from circulation. Ultimately, after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in AD 1950, the silver currency system was entirely abolished, marking the definitive end of sycee.

物件編號: A1858

年代: 公元 1644-1911 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 55.4 x 40.5 x 17.0 mm

重量: 112.35 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此枚銀錠為清代流行形制之銀錁，錁為一種小型銀錠，狀若小舟、饅頭，成橢圓形。重量由一、二兩，乃至三、五兩不等，此銀錁約合三兩(庫平兩)。

銀錠正面俯視呈橢圓形，正面壓平，有細螺紋，邊緣略出於平面，另有「福」字方戳於中央。細螺紋於明晚期，是銀錠成色優良的象徵，會於鑄造過程中自然呈現。後發展出主動製造細紋的方式，不再能判斷成色，故「紋銀」一詞後僅作為會計稅收單位而存在。「福」字應為吉語，為寄託祝福，迎來送往而鑄造。並非福建之「福」字，福建省鑄之解銀方戳為「閩」。

銀錠側視呈半橢圓形，直邊不齊。銀幣背面有細微凹孔，乃手工澆鑄銀錠之自然現象。

銀錠是中國明、清二朝流通的重要白銀貨幣單位，為一種稱量貨幣，廣泛用於商業交易、官府稅收和儲蓄。銀錠的形制多元，其中最常見的為「元寶」形，即呈橢圓形或船形，兩端翹起，中間略凹，便於堆疊和攜帶。此外，還包括長方形、腰圓形、馬蹄形、饅頭形、槽銀等不同類型。銀錠的重量以“兩”為計量單位，常見規格有五兩、十兩、五十兩、一百兩等，而在地方流通中，小額銀錠也常見，如一兩或半兩的小元寶。清代銀錠的鑄造主體包括官方鑄造的稅收銀錠、鹽商使用的鹽課銀錠，以及民間銀號、錢莊或商號自鑄的銀錠，後者用於貿易支付和存儲。銀錠的成色與重量由市場或官方估定，並刻有相應的公估印記，以保障其信用。清政府在全國多個地區設立銀爐，專門鑄造稅收銀錠，這些銀錠通常帶有「庫平」或「公估」標記，表明其符合官方規定的成色標準。有些自鑄銀錠，會因為節慶、婚嫁等原因，刻上「福」、「囍」、「壽」等文字。在雲南、四川等地，因貿易需求旺盛，銀錠的形制更加多樣，如雲南的牌坊銀、三槽銀和馬蹄銀等。清代銀錠的使用持續至晚清，直至光緒年間隨著銀元(銀幣)的推廣，以及民國時期「廢兩改元」政策的實施，銀錠才逐步退出流通領域，並最終在中共建政成立後被完全廢止。