Item number: A2896

Year: AD 1911-1915

Material: Copper

Size: 33.4 x 33.4 x 1.8 mm

Weight: 11.85 g

Manufactured by: Yunnan Mint

Provenance: Chang Ming-chuan Collection 2019

This is a copper pattern coin issued in the early Republican period by Yunnan Province, based on the silver coin design of the late Qing era. It belongs to the “Guangxu Yuanbao” series, which continued to be minted following the Qing style despite the establishment of the Republic.

In the 34th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1908), the Yunnan Longyun Bureau—responsible for overseeing the province’s coinage operations and located in Kunming—continued minting silver coins. By AD 1911, it introduced a new series of Guangxu Yuanbao silver coins using what is commonly referred to as the “New Yunnan” die, replacing the earlier “Old Yunnan” version. These coins carried a denomination of 3 mace and 6 candareens, equivalent to half a yuan, or fifty cents. The term bankai, originally synonymous with the fifty-cent denomination, later came to specifically refer to late-period half-yuan coins with reduced silver content, which had become widely circulated. Compared to the “Old Yunnan” dies, the “New Yunnan” variety featured smaller, more refined calligraphy, a cleaner overall design, and omitted the English inscriptions found on earlier issues.

The “New Yunnan” series is known for its complex typology, and based on the characteristics of this coin, it can be attributed to “Type VII.” The obverse features a beaded circle enclosing a five-clawed coiled dragon breathing a fireball. On either side of the outer edge of the beaded circle are five-petalled floral ornaments, while the central dot beneath the dragon is rendered in a distinctive double-ring form.

The reverse of the coin also features a beaded circle, within which the inscription “Guangxu Yuanbao” is presented in both Chinese and Manchu script. Surrounding the beaded circle is a decorative border of solid double-ring floral motifs, commonly referred to by collectors as “plum blossoms.” The upper edge bears the inscription “Minted in Yunnan Province” (雲南省造), while the lower edge indicates the denomination as “Kuping 3 Mace 6 Candareens” (庫平三錢六分).

Yunnan, situated on the southwestern frontier of China, had been inundated with foreign silver coins—including those from France, Britain, and Mexico—since the late Qing Dynasty’s opening of treaty ports. Due to the region’s geographical isolation and underdeveloped land transportation, silver coins minted in other Chinese provinces encountered significant difficulty in entering Yunnan’s market.

In an effort to expel foreign silver from circulation, Ding Zhenduo, then Viceroy of Yunnan and Guizhou, submitted a memorial to the imperial court in the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), requesting the establishment of a Western-style mint in Yunnan. Upon imperial approval, the Yunnan Longyun Bureau was established, and by the 34th year of Guangxu (AD 1908), the mint commenced operations.

Following the establishment of the Republic of China, the Yunnan Mint remained operational. After the Xinhai Revolution (AD 1911), its administration was transferred to provincial control and it was formally renamed the Yunnan Mint. In AD 1913, the mint was placed under central government administration and rebranded as the Yunnan Branch of the Ministry of Finance Mint. However, in AD 1915, following the Yunnan Anti-Yuan Rebellion and the province’s declaration of independence, it reverted to the name Yunnan Mint.

Successive warlords and central governments governing Yunnan each sought to modernise the currency system. However, political instability led to monetary disorder, inadvertently allowing the Guangxu Yuanbao to remain widely accepted in the market, with Ban Kai (Half Kai) silver coins being the most prevalent. Subsequent administrations resorted to recasting inferior-quality Guangxu Yuanbao coins, using debased silver as a means to sustain military funding. The mint continued its operations until AD 1950, when it was permanently closed following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

物件編號: A2896

年代: 公元 1911-1915 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 33.4 x 33.4 x 1.8 mm

重量: 11.85 g

製造地: 雲南造幣廠

來源: 張明泉舊藏 2019

這是一枚民國初年雲南省以清季的銀幣設計為範本，持續發行鑄造的「光緒元寶」銀幣所屬的銅質樣幣。

光緒34年 (公元1908年)，主責全省鑄幣業務並設置於昆明的雲南龍雲局，於公元1911年，以俗稱「新雲南」模具，取代「老雲南」，所發行之光緒元寶銀幣，面額為三錢六分，即五角，等同於半元。「半開」之稱原意亦同於五角，但隨龍銀中含銀量逐漸降低並流布廣泛，「半開」逐漸專指晚期低含銀量的半元銀幣。「新雲南」相較於「舊雲南」的模具，字體較為嬌小，設計較為簡潔，並省略了英文銘文。

「新雲南」的版型十分複雜，從這枚錢幣的特徵來做判斷應該屬於「版型七」。錢幣正面有一道珠圈環繞，正中央是一條吐著火球的五爪蟠龍。珠圈外圍的左右兩側有五瓣花飾作為裝飾，正中央的點呈現雙圈樣貌。

錢幣背面同樣有一道珠圈，正中央是分別以漢字和滿文標示的「光緒元寶」。珠圈外圍以收藏界稱呼為「梅花」的雙圈實心圓花飾作為分界，上緣打印地名「雲南省造」，下緣則是面額「庫平三錢六分」。

雲南地處西南邊陲，自清末開港通商以來，市場上充斥著法國、英國和墨西哥等外國的銀元，國內其他省份鑄造的銀元因為陸上交通不便，反而難以進入雲南市場。因此為驅逐洋銀，在光緒32年 (公元1906年)，時任雲貴總督丁振鐸奏請朝廷在雲南設立西式造幣廠，得到奏准後設雲南龍雲局，於光緒34年 (公元1908年) 正式開工鑄造。雲南造幣廠在民國成立後仍維持營運，辛亥革命後(公元1911年)，改歸省辦，更名雲南造幣廠。公元1913年收歸中央部辦，改稱財政部雲南造幣分廠。公元1915年，雲南討袁起義，宣布獨立，又改回稱雲南造幣廠。雲南歷任軍閥或執政的中央政府，皆欲更新幣制，但政局的不穩反而造成幣制混亂，反而使「光緒元寶」持續受市場接受，其中又以半開銀幣為主。歷任政府亦因此復鑄成色低劣的光緒元寶，以次充好，以補軍資，直到公元1950年中共建政後方才走入歷史。