Item number: A3441

Year: AD 1898

Material: Silver

Size: 20.2 x 20.2 mm

Manufactured by: Anqing Mint

Provenance:

1. Spink 2023

2. Dr. W.K. Burger Collection

This is a silver coin with a denomination of 1 mace 4.4 candareens, minted in AD 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu reign) by the Anqing Mint, which was responsible for coinage operations in Anhui Province.

The obverse of the coin features a beaded border around the edge. At the centre is a five-clawed coiled dragon issuing a flaming pearl. On either side of the design, six-petal floral motifs serve as dividers. The upper edge is inscribed in English with the location “AN-HWEI PROVINCE,” while the lower edge bears the denomination “1 MACE AND 44 CANDAREENS.”

The reverse of the coin features two concentric beaded borders. Within the innermost border, the characters “光緒元寶” (Guangxu Yuanbao) are inscribed in both Chinese and Manchu script. In the corners, the abbreviation “A.S.T.C.” appears, representing the Wade-Giles romanisation An-hwei Seng Tsao Chien (meaning “Anhui Province Minted Coin”). Along the outer edge, the upper rim is inscribed in Chinese with the issuing date and location “二十四年安徽省造” (24th Year, Anhui Province Mint), while the lower rim bears the denomination “庫平一錢四分四釐” (Kuping 1 mace 4.4 candareens).

In March AD 1897 (the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign), Deng Huaxi, then Governor of Anhui, petitioned the imperial court and received approval to establish the Anhui Silver Coin Bureau, modelled on those in Guangdong and Hubei, to oversee the province’s machine-struck coinage operations. However, in AD 1899 (the 25th year of Guangxu), due to mismanagement, the bureau was ordered by the court to cease operations, and it did not resume production until the Republican period.

物件編號: A3441

年代: 公元 1898 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 20.2 x 20.2 mm

製造地: 安慶造幣廠

來源:

1. 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

2. 布威納博士舊藏

這是一枚光緒24年 (公元1898年)，專責安徽省鑄幣業務的「安慶造幣廠」鑄造的面額一錢四分四釐銀幣。

錢幣正面的周圍有一道珠圈環繞，正中央是一條吐著火球的五爪蟠龍，外圍的兩側以六瓣花飾為分界線，上緣以英文打印地點「AN-HWEI PROVINCE」(安徽省)，下緣則是面額「1 MACE AND 44 CANDAREENS」(一錢四分四釐)。

錢幣背面有兩道珠圈，最內圈以漢字和滿文打印「光緒元寶」四字之外，角落還有「A.S.T.C.」威妥瑪拼音的「An-hwei Seng Tsao Chien」(安徽省造錢幣) 縮寫。外圍的上緣以漢字打印發行年份和地點「二十四年安徽省造」，下緣則是面額「庫平一錢四分四釐」。

光緒23年(公元1897年) 3月，時任安徽巡撫的鄧華熙上奏朝廷，獲准模仿廣東和湖北成立安徽銀元局，主責安徽省的機械鑄幣業務。然而光緒25年(公元1899年)，因經營不善遭到朝廷勒令停業，直到民國時期才又重新投入生產。