Item number: A1907

Year: AD 1906

Material: Copper

Size: 28.5 x 28.3 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 7.05 g

Manufactured by: Chengdu Mint, Szechuen

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 is a Great Qing Copper Coin minted in Guangxu Year 32 (AD 1906) at the Chengdu Mint, Sichuan Province, in accordance with the Ministry of Revenue’s official specifications.

The obverse of the coin features a beaded border, with a five-clawed coiled dragon at the centre, depicted spewing a flaming pearl. The upper half of the outer rim is inscribed in Chinese characters with “光緒年造” (Minted in the Guangxu Era), while the surrounding English inscription reads “TAI-CHING-TI-KUO COPPER COIN” (Copper Coin of the Great Qing Empire).

The reverse of the coin features a beaded border, within which the four Chinese characters “大清銅幣” (Great Qing Copper Coin) are inscribed in regular script. At the centre, there is a raised circular dot, with the abbreviated name of Sichuan (川) engraved in intaglio within the circle. The outer rim is divided by the two Chinese characters “戶部” (Ministry of Revenue). The upper portion bears the sexagenary cycle year “丙午” (Bing Wu) and a Manchu inscription reading “ᠸᡝᡳᠯᡝᡥᡝ ᠠᠨᡳᠶᠠᡳ ᡩᠣᠷᠣ ᡳ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᠷᠠᠩᡤᠠ” (Minted in the Guangxu Era). The lower rim is inscribed with the coin’s denomination, “當制錢十文” (Equivalent to Ten Cash).

During the minting process, the copper blank and the striking die were misaligned, causing the design on both the obverse and reverse to be shifted downward. As a result, some details appear incomplete or missing.

物件編號: A1907

年代: 公元 1906 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 28.5 x 28.3 x 1.4 mm

重量: 7.05 g

製造地: 成都造幣廠，四川

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)四川成都造幣廠按照戶部規格鑄造的大清銅幣。

錢幣正面有一道珠圈，正中央是一條吐著火球的五爪蟠龍。外圍上半部以漢字鐫刻「光緒年造」，周圍以英文標示「TAI-CHING-TI-KUO COPPER COIN」（大清帝國銅幣）。

錢幣背面有一道珠圈，裡面有漢字楷書「大清銅幣」四字，正中央還有一個突起的圓點，並且在圓內陰刻四川的簡稱「川」。外圍則以「戶部」兩字為分界，上緣鐫刻出廠年度的干支紀年「丙午」和滿文「ᠸᡝᡳᠯᡝᡥᡝ ᠠᠨᡳᠶᠠᡳ ᡩᠣᠷᠣ ᡳ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᠷᠠᠩᡤᠠ」(光緒年鑄造)字樣，下緣則是面額「當制錢十文」字樣。

這一枚錢幣在打印的過程中，銅胚和打印的模具沒有對齊，使得正反兩面的版型都偏向下方，並且有些細節上的缺漏。