This is a founding commemorative coin with a denomination of ten cash, minted by the Anqing Mint and issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China between AD 1912 and AD 1925.
At the centre of the obverse is the inscription “Ten Cash” in regular script. On both sides of the inscription are clusters of mature grain and foliage. The lower parts of the leaves flanking the character “文” exhibit venation with three lateral veins on each side, a pattern referred to as “three-veined leaves”. A beaded circle separates the central motif from the outer rim. Along the upper perimeter of the rim is a continuous arrangement of leaves, likely representing the Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora), connected by climbing stems. The leaf tips are uniformly oriented in an anticlockwise direction, forming what is known as a “continuous leaf pattern”.
The reverse features a central motif of two crossed flags. The flag on the right is the Five-Coloured Flag used during the Beiyang Government period, symbolising the unity of the five major ethnic groups. The flag on the left is the Nineteen-Star Flag. Following the Wuchang Uprising, the Iron-Blood Eighteen-Star Flag symbolised the federated republic of the eighteen Han provinces. The Beiyang Government later added a central star to represent the central government, resulting in the Nineteen-Star Flag, which was adopted as the official flag of the Army and Navy. The Five-Coloured Flag consists of five flat horizontal bands separated by finely incised curved lines in intaglio. The nine-pointed star of the Nineteen-Star Flag is constructed from intaglio long arms combined with eighteen raised stars arranged in nine opposing pairs. These elements are not structurally unified but rather juxtaposed to form a loosely defined circular motif. The centre is shaped by the converging ends of the star’s intaglio rays, forming an irregular circle, within which are three concentric rings—intaglio, relief, and intaglio—culminating in a final raised dot at the centre. The two flags are crossed and tied together with tasselled cords, with two tassels hanging down. The tassels are spaced relatively far apart. On either side of the flags are decorative floral branches with abundant foliage. The stems at the bottom of the scrollwork terminate in a hook-like flourish, referred to as a “hooked branch tip”. The upper perimeter bears the national title “Zhonghua Minguo” (“Republic of China”), and the lower perimeter reads “Founding Commemorative Coin”, both rendered in regular script. The flagpoles, floral stems, and tasselled cords are outlined in raised relief.
Both the obverse and reverse rims feature a raised border with elongated rectangular denticles pointing inward, tapering to a sharp end. These are designed to protect the coin’s central motifs. The coin’s edge is flat, smooth, and without ornamentation.
The minting history of the Anqing Mint dates back to AD 1897 (Guangxu 23rd year), when Anhui Provincial Governor Deng Huaxi established the Silver Dollar Bureau on the former site of the Gunpowder Bureau inside Anqing’s East Gate, initiating silver coin production. However, the operation lasted only slightly more than two years before being halted due to changes in Qing court policy. In AD 1902 (Guangxu 28th year), the site was repurposed as a copper coin bureau, issuing denominations such as Ten and Twenty Wen. It ceased operation in AD 1907 (Guangxu 33rd year) due to central government reforms to standardise copper coinage. Following the establishment of the Republic, the mint briefly resumed production, though output was frequently interrupted by political instability. In AD 1919 (Year 8 of the Republic), under the direction of Anhui warlord Ni Sichong, and with approval from the Beiyang Government, a copper coin sub-mint was re-established for local circulation within Anhui Province. The mint became a vehicle for Ni’s personal gain, producing large quantities of substandard copper coinage, as well as commemorative medals bearing his likeness. In AD 1925 (Year 14 of the Republic), operations were permanently discontinued due to central monetary reform and cost-related issues.
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.
