Item number: A2955

Year: AD 1912-1928

Material: Brass

Size: 27.9 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 6.7 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a ten-cash copper coin modelled after the design of the “Founding Commemorative Coin” issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China between AD 1912 and AD 1928, originally minted by the Wuchang Mint.

On the obverse, the central inscription reads “十文” (“Ten Cash”) in clerical script (lishu), flanked on both sides by clusters of grain (jiahe) and grass leaves. The grass leaves on either side are tied together with a cord, with the knot forming an elongated loop. A fine circular border separates the central motif from the outer rim. Along the upper rim appears the English inscription “THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA”, representing the national title. Four-petalled floral ornaments divide the two sides and separate the two lines of inscription. Along the lower rim is the English denomination “TEN CASH”, corresponding to the central Chinese inscription.

The reverse features a central design of two crossed flags. On the right is the five-colour flag used during the Beiyang Government period, symbolising the ideal of harmony among the five ethnic groups. The stripes on the flag are engraved with a gradation of depth from top to bottom, a feature known as the “wrinkled stripe flag” (zhoutiaoqi). On the left is the Iron and Blood Eighteen-Star Flag, which came to represent the federal unity of the eighteen Han provinces after the Wuchang Uprising. This standard version displays nine incised pointed stars and eighteen raised circular stars, a pattern referred to as the “nine-dot circular intaglio” (yuan yin jiudian). The flags are bound together at the intersection with a knotted cord. A finely beaded circle separates the centre from the outer rim. The upper rim bears the inscription “中華民國” (“Republic of China”), and the lower rim reads “開國紀念幣” (“Founding Commemorative Coin”), both in regular script (kaishu). Five-petalled floral ornaments divide the sides, separating the two lines of inscription.

The borders on both obverse and reverse consist of raised rims with inward-facing fine rectangular denticles, referred to as “horse teeth” (machi). The edge of the coin is plain and unadorned. This coin is comparatively thin and is therefore classified as a thin version. It was likely sand-cast from an official circulation coin and recast, sharing similar features with products from the Wuchang Mint. However, the inscriptions and design elements on this specimen exhibit ghosting and blurred thickening, suggesting issues with alignment or mould duplication.

The origin of this coin can be traced to initiatives by Zhang Zhidong, Viceroy of Huguang, who in AD 1900 (Guangxu 26) ordered the New Branch of the Silver Coin Bureau to begin trial production of ten-cash copper coins. Mass production commenced the following year upon imperial approval. In AD 1902 (Guangxu 28), the bureau was reorganised into the Hubei Copper Coin Bureau, dedicated solely to coin production, with a branch established at the Hanyang Arsenal to expand output—eventually becoming the nation’s leading producer. In AD 1910 (Xuantong 2), these institutions were consolidated into the Wuchang Mint. After the Xinhai Revolution, the mint became a major coinage facility under the Hubei Military Government, the Provisional Government, and later the Beiyang Government.

In AD 1912 (1st year of the Republic), the Republic of China was established, marking the end of monarchy and the rise of republican governance. The new government decided to issue “Founding of the Republic Commemorative Coins” to promote republican ideals, stabilise public sentiment and finances, and to replace the traditional Chinese cash coins with square holes. The form and style of the new coinage aligned with international monetary standards. The initiative was first led by the Nanjing Provisional Government and subsequently continued under the Beiyang Government. Thereafter, due to prolonged political instability and the fragmentation of authority among regional warlords, copper coins, though nominally auxiliary currency, in practise formed a separate monetary system. Their exchange rate with the silver-based primary currency fluctuated constantly. Coin designs varied across regions, and there were considerable differences in minting quality and copper composition. The units of denomination were also diverse and complex, including wen, mei, fen, li, and xian. In AD 1935 (24th year of the Republic), the Nationalist government initiated further monetary unification, designating the Shanghai Mint as the sole institution authorised to issue coinage, thereby bringing an end to the copper coin system inherited from the late Qing dynasty and ushering in the era of legal tender currency.

In addition to disorder caused by a lack of central authority and rampant private minting, large-scale unauthorised official imitations also existed. In AD 1920 (the 9th year of the Republic), General Kong Fanjin, then Commander of the Longnan Garrison, was stationed in Tianshui. He ordered the mass sand-casting of imitation ten-cash and twenty-cash coins modelled after other provinces, with extremely poor craftsmanship and materials, to make up for fiscal shortages. This illicit minting continued for five years. In AD 1924, after acquiring new machinery, Kong shifted production to larger denominations—fifty-cash and one-hundred-cash coins—intended for sale and recasting. Ironically, the so-called “Tianshui sand-cast” inferior coins have become rare survivors and valuable artefacts for numismatic study today.

物件編號: A2955

年代: 公元 1912-1928 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 27.9 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

重量: 6.7 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚倣武昌造幣廠所鑄，財政部於公元1912至1928年所發行之開國紀念幣幣圖之十文銅元。

銅元正面中央幣文為「十文」隸書，兩側以嘉禾及草葉簇擁，兩側草葉以纓相繫，結環稍長。以細環相隔，外圈上方環列英文「THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA」即國號「中華民國」；以四瓣花飾分裂兩側，相隔兩行幣文，下方環列「TEN CASH」，即「十文」。

銅元背面中央為雙旗圖，右為北洋政府時期之國旗五色旗，象徵五族共和，五色旗各色條雕刻以由上而下漸深表示，稱「皺條旗」；左為鐵血十八星旗，自武昌起義後象徵漢地十八省聯省共和，此普通版為陰刻九角暨陽刻十八圓星，稱「圓陰九點」。雙旗交叉，以纓相繫成結。以細珠圈相隔，上方環列國號「中華民國」；下方環列「開國紀念幣」，皆為楷書。兩側以五瓣花分飾，相隔兩行幣文。

銅元正背面幣緣均為凸環，有矩狀細齒向內，稱「馬齒」。幣稜光素無紋。此幣厚度較薄，為薄版。此幣或以行用幣翻砂改鑄而成，與武昌出品特徵相同，惟字體暨幣圖有疊影情況而模糊加粗。

湖廣總督張之洞於光緒二十六年(公元1900年)始由銀元局新廠試製當十銅元，次年奉旨大量製造。光緒二十八年(公元1902年)改組為湖北銅幣局，專責鑄幣，並於漢陽兵工廠另設分廠，產量居全國之冠。宣統二年(公元1910年)，相關機構整併為武昌造幣廠。辛亥革命後成為鄂軍都督府，臨時政府及北洋政府中央重要造幣基地。

民國元年(公元1912年)，中華民國成立，帝制終結，共和方興。政府決定發行「開國紀念幣」，藉此宣揚共和理念、穩定民心與財政，同時替代傳統中國使用的方孔圓錢，形制上接軌世界。最初由南京臨時政府主導，隨後北洋政府繼續發行。此後，由於長期政局板蕩，軍閥割據，銅元名為輔幣，實則自成體系，與銀主幣匯率隨時而升降。幣圖各地不同，工藝與銅質更是差別頗大，紀值單位亦複雜多元，有文、枚、分、釐、仙等。民國二十四年(公元1935年)，國民黨政府開始進一步統一幣制，規定僅上海鑄幣廠有鑄幣權，終結作為晚清遺緒的銅元制，進入法幣時代。

除中央威權不彰，民間私鑄混亂外，另有官方大宗倣鑄者。民國九年(公元1920年)，孔繁錦任隴南鎮守使，駐防天水。孔繁錦並下令大量翻砂倣鑄他省十文、二十文幣，工藝、品質皆低劣，以補財政，其濫鑄達五年之久。但民國十三年(公元1924年)，孔新購機器後，購銷銅錢以改鑄五十文、一百文之大錢。所謂「天水砂版」劣錢如今反而存世不多。