Item number: A2944

Year: AD 1918-1926

Material: Brass

Size: 28.0 x 28.0 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 6.1 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This coin is presumed to be privately cast, imitating the “Zhonghua Tongbi” (Chinese Copper Coin) issued in Shanxi between AD 1918 and AD 1926.

The obverse of the coin features a central motif of two crossed flags. On the right is the Five-Coloured Flag of the Beiyang Government era, symbolising the ideal of “Five Races Under One Union”; on the left is the Eighteen-Star Flag, which has represented the eighteen provinces of Han Chinese territory and the principle of federated autonomy since the Wuchang Uprising. On the original coin, the Eighteen-Star Flag consists of nine pointed rays, whereas this specimen displays ten rounded rays. The stars are rendered with blurred and inconsistent outlines, collectively forming a chrysanthemum-like pattern. The Five-Coloured Flag lacks the creases characteristic of the curved-flag version and also omits the striped textures found in the straight-flag edition. The binding ribbon is shown without a discernible knot. A circular border encloses the central motif. Around the upper arc is the inscription “Zhonghua Tongbi” (“Chinese Copper Coin”); the characters “Hua”, “Tong”, and “Bi” exhibit noticeable abbreviations in their strokes. Along the lower arc is the denomination “Dang Zhiqian Shi Wen” (“Ten Cash Units”), rendered in standard script (kaishu). Whereas the original coin separates the upper and lower inscriptions with orchid motifs, this specimen uses five-petal, flower-like patterns instead. The rim displays faintly visible, inward-facing, fine square denticles. The coin appears to have been hand-struck, with the central axis slightly shifted upward.

On the reverse, the central inscription reads “Yi Mei” (“One Piece”), reinforcing the well-established concept that one piece equates to ten cash units. In the character “Mei”, the right-side dot of the “mu” (wood) radical is almost entirely omitted. The central inscription is flanked by symmetrical ears of wheat—known as “jiahe”—which symbolise the ideas of “abundance for the people” and “a lasting encouragement to prioritise agriculture as the foundation of governance”. These wheat ears are relatively short and may be referred to as “short wheat ears”, in contrast to those on the original coin. Detailed elements such as the awns and glumes have been omitted. The engraved leaves are rendered using a simplified raised leaf-shaped outline.

In AD 1918 (9th year of the Republic), Yan Xishan, then Military Governor of Shanxi, established the Shanxi Copper Coin Bureau near Qianfoshi (Thousand Buddha Temple) in the outskirts of Taiyuan. He authorised the minting of Zhonghua Copper Coins bearing the denominations “One Mei” and “Twenty Wen.” Minting ceased in AD 1926 (15th year of the Republic) following the central government’s tightening of coinage policy.

After the Xinhai Revolution, Yan Xishan assumed de facto control over Shanxi. From AD 1918 onward, he held the position of Military Governor, instituting a system of unified military and civil governance. He placed emphasis on military training and regional development, promoted new administrative reforms and education, and strove to maintain Shanxi’s neutrality amid the internecine warfare of the Beiyang warlord era. During this period, he manoeuvred among the Zhili and Fengtian cliques, at times forming alliances and at others opposing them, thereby consolidating his own power. Although Shanxi did not experience direct upheaval during national events such as the May Fourth Movement, it was nonetheless influenced by the spread of new cultural and reformist ideas. After the Second Zhili-Fengtian War in AD 1924, Fengtian forces occupied Beijing, and Yan experienced a temporary decline in influence. However, as the dynamics of the Northern Expedition shifted, he reasserted control over Shanxi. By AD 1926, with the National Revolutionary Army launching its campaign, Yan declared his support and emerged as a significant military and political figure in North China, ushering Shanxi into a new phase of governance.

物件編號: A2944

年代: 公元 1918-1926 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 28.0 x 28.0 x 0.9 mm

重量: 6.1 g

製造地: 山西銅元局，太原

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚應為私人鑄造，倣公元1918至1926年山西所鑄之中華銅幣。

銅幣正面中央為雙旗圖，右為北洋政府時期之國旗五色旗，象徵五族共和；左為十八星旗，自武昌起義起象徵漢地十八省與聯省自治。惟原幣十八星旗九星芒增至十星芒，星芒由尖改圓，星點漫漶不均，整體呈菊花狀；五色旗既不見曲旗版的褶皺，亦不見直旗版的星紋條紋；所繫纓結不見結。以環相隔，上方環列幣名「中華銅幣」，「華、銅、幣」三字皆多有省筆；下方環列幣值「當制錢十文」，皆為楷書，上下環列之幣文於原幣以蘭花相隔，於此幣以五圓辦花相隔。幣緣隱約可見內向細方齒。應為手工壓製，中心稍微偏上。

銅元背面中央幣文為「壹枚」，以枚紀值體現以十文為一單位的概念深入人心。「枚」字「木」旁右點幾乎省略。兩側以對生的麥穗——即嘉禾——環繞，寓意「取豐歲足民之義，垂勸農務本之規」，嘉禾較矮小，於原幣可稱「小麥穗」；原幣麥芒與護穎細節被略去。陽刻葉片以陽刻葉狀輪廓代之。

民國九年(公元1918年)，山西都督閻錫山於太原郊區千佛寺設銅元局，開鑄中華銅幣「壹枚」及「貳拾文」，至民國十五年，中央鑄幣政策收緊後停鑄。

閻錫山自辛亥革命後掌握山西實權，公元1918年起任督軍，實行軍政合一的統治模式，強調軍事訓練與地方建設，致力推行新政與教育改革，並努力維持山西在北洋軍閥混戰中的中立地位。期間閻與直系、奉系等勢力周旋，時而聯合、時而對抗，藉機壯大自身實力。面對五四運動與全國變局，山西政局雖未直接動盪，但亦受新文化與改革思想影響。公元1924年第二次直奉戰爭後，奉系勢力進入北京，閻一度失勢，後因北伐局勢轉變，重新鞏固山西地位。至公元1926年，國民革命軍北伐展開，閻錫山表態響應，成為華北重要軍政人物，山西政局隨之進入新階段。