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ROC,
Founding of the Republic
Commemorative Coin,
Ten-Cash
(Regular Script, Round Tassel, Reverse with Die Variety & Flat-Stripes Flag, Off-Centre Strike Version)
民國
開國紀念幣
十文
(楷書圓纓背異刻平條旗偏打版)
Item number: A2958
Year: AD 1912-1928
Material: Copper
Size: 28.9 x 28.4 x 1.2 mm
Weight: 6.65 g
Manufactured by: Wuchang Mint
Provenance: Spink 2023
This is a ten-cash copper coin, a type of “Founding of the Republic Commemorative Coin,” minted by the Wuchang Mint and issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China between AD 1912 and 1928.
On the obverse, the central inscription displays the characters “十文” (ten cash) in clerical script. It is flanked on both sides by stalks of grain and leaves, which are bound below by tasselled cords forming an almost perfect circle. A fine ring separates the inner and outer design. The upper outer rim bears the inscription “THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA,” denoting the national title. Four-petalled floral motifs divide the inscriptions on both sides. The lower rim is inscribed “TEN CASH,” corresponding to the denomination.
The reverse features a central crossed-flag motif. On the right is the Five-Coloured Flag of the Beiyang Government period, symbolising the ideal of unity among the five major ethnic groups. The coloured bands of the flag are represented using a “flat-striped” format: five raised (relief) lines separated by four incised (recessed) lines. On the left is the Iron-Blood Eighteen-Star Flag, adopted after the Wuchang Uprising to symbolise federal republican unity among the eighteen Han Chinese provinces. The eighteen stars are represented by a combination of nine incised nine-point stars and eighteen raised circular dots, a common design known as the “circular-incised nine-dot” variant. However, the upper portion of this coin’s design contains an additional star dot beyond the standard nine, with most star dots misaligned due to an off-centre strike, resulting in a total of nineteen star points. The two flags are tied at the intersection with decorative cords forming three interlocking loops. A fine beaded circle separates the inner design from the outer inscriptions. The upper rim bears the national title “中華民國” (“Republic of China”), and the lower rim reads “開國紀念幣” (“Founding Commemorative Coin”), both rendered in regular script. Solid five-petalled floral decorations divide the inscriptions on either side. The overall design is offset to the right, indicating a misalignment of the die during the machine-striking process.
Both obverse and reverse rims are raised and bordered with fine, square, inward-facing denticles known as “horse teeth.” The coin edge is smooth and unadorned. A visible chip is present at the lower rim, indicating loss of material from the coin’s edge.
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.
物件編號: A2958
年代: 公元 1912-1928 年
材質: 紅銅
尺寸: 28.9 x 28.4 x 1.2 mm
重量: 6.65 g
製造地: 武昌造幣廠
來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023
這是一枚由武昌造幣廠所鑄,財政部於公元1912至1928年所發行之開國紀念幣,為面額十文之銅元。
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,結環呈近正圓。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」。