Item number: A1965

Year: AD 1926 and later

Material: Copper

Size: 31.2 x 30.9 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 8.85 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This copper coin combines design elements from the Sichuan Rupee and the Jiahe copper coin, yet its diameter is significantly smaller than both, suggesting it is a privately cast reproduction.

The obverse features the same design as the Sichuan Rupee, depicting a left-facing portrait of Emperor Guangxu wearing a winter court crown, encircled by a beaded rim. The Sichuan Rupee holds historical significance as the first coin in Chinese history to bear the portrait of a ruling monarch. The reverse displays the “Jiahe Encircling a Square Symbol” design, originally created in AD 1916 by Italian engraver Luigi Giorgi for the Tianjin Mint and first minted in the fifth year of the Republic of China for a “five-li” copper coin. This design consists of four full ears of rice symmetrically arranged around a central square symbol. At the centre, the denomination “100” indicates its nominal value of 100 wen. The “Jiahe Encircling a Square Symbol” combined with the “100” denomination originates from the reverse of the Chuanzi Jiahe copper coin, which was extensively cast in AD 1926. The coin exhibits an axial misalignment of approximately 60 degrees. Additionally, a perforation on the edge suggests it may have been used for wearing. The coin’s surface displays uneven colouring, with irregular patches of magenta, which could result from inconsistencies in the casting process or from prolonged contact with organic substances during wear, potentially leading to the dissolution of copper by organic acids and the formation of such hues.

The Sichuan Rupee was a silver coin minted during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty to counter the influence of British Indian Rupees in Tibetan trade. It primarily circulated in trade between Sichuan and Tibet. Modelled after the British Indian Rupee in weight and design, it replaced the British monarch’s portrait with that of Emperor Guangxu and bore the inscription “Minted in Sichuan Province,” serving as a clear assertion of Qing monetary sovereignty. The Sichuan Rupee was introduced to supplant the Indian Rupee and successfully established a stable circulation in Sichuan and Tibetan border regions. Even during the early Republican period, it remained in active circulation, exerting a lasting influence, and was not abolished until after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

The Sichuan Jiahe copper coin was minted under the warlord Deng Xihou during the Beiyang period. In AD 1926, Deng seized control of the Chengdu Mint, securing a steady financial resource, and subsequently issued debased new copper coins in denominations of 50, 100, and 200 wen. Among them, the 200-wen coin was particularly profitable and had the widest circulation. The obverse of these coins was uniformly inscribed with “Fifteenth Year of the Republic of China,” though actual production may have continued until AD 1930, when the Sichuan Mint ceased operations.

物件編號: A1965

年代: 公元 1926 年及以後

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 31.2 x 30.9 x 1.4 mm

重量: 8.85 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此枚銅幣圖樣拼合四川盧比及嘉禾銅元，且幣徑相較二者都小得多，應為翻模私鑄。

銅幣正面為四川盧比的正面，為光緒帝的左側肖像，著冬朝冠，幣緣以細珠圈為飾，四川盧比是中國歷史上第一枚鑄有統治者肖像的錢幣。銅幣背面圖樣原始設計之「嘉禾環繞方袱圖」，出自公元1916年，義大利雕刻師魯爾智·喬治為天津鑄幣廠所設計，民國五年鑄行的「伍釐」銅錢背圖，對角的四個方位皆為稻穗飽滿的嘉禾。中央為面額「100」，意即當一百文，「嘉禾環繞方袱圖」加「100」之設計出自1926年濫鑄的川字嘉禾銅元背圖。錢幣兩面的圖案，有約60度的偏軸。銅幣邊緣有穿孔，可能是用於佩戴。幣面顏色不均，有不規則的洋紅色區塊，可能為熔鑄不均的結果，也可能是佩戴的過程中，接觸到有機物，產生有機酸溶解銅，可能會形成類似的顏色。

四川盧比是清朝光緒年間四川省為應對英屬印度盧比在藏區的影響而仿製的銀幣，主要流通於四川與藏區的貿易往來。該幣仿照英屬印度盧比的重量與設計，但以光緒帝側面肖像取代英國君主肖像，並於幣面標註「四川省造」，呈現明確的清政府貨幣主權象徵。四川盧比的發行旨在取代印度盧比，並成功在川藏邊境與四川地區建立了穩定的流通市場。即使在民國初期，四川盧比仍持續在市場上流通，影響深遠。中共建政後才被廢止。

四川嘉禾銅元為北洋時期四川軍閥鄧錫侯所鑄，公元1926年，鄧錫侯攻佔四川成都鑄幣廠，因而獲得穩定財源，鑄行當五十、當一百、當二百之劣質新銅元，尤以當二百之銅元獲利頗豐，鑄行最廣​。正面幣文皆書民國十五年，實際鑄行時間可能直到公元1930年，四川鑄幣廠停鑄。