Item number: A3721

Year: AD 1912-1934

Material: Copper

Size: 40.0 x 39.9 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 26.55 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a copper coin known as “Xinjiang Tongbao,” issued and circulated locally in Xinjiang during the early Republican period, approximately before AD 1934, with a denomination of 20 cash.

The coin has a notably thick and solid build. At its centre, the obverse features a beaded circle, within which the four Chinese characters “新疆通寶” (Xinjiang Tongbao) are arranged in the order top, bottom, right, and left, surrounding an eight-petal floral motif. Outside the beaded circle, the inscription encircles the rim with the national title “中華民國” (Republic of China) and the denomination “當紅錢二十文” (Valid Red Money, 20 Cash). The 20-Cash Xinjiang Tongbao coins also exist in two additional varieties distinguished by their central design: the Five-Pointed Star type and the Large Five-Pointed Star type.

The reverse of the coin is also encircled by a beaded border. At the centre is a double-flag design that was common on Xinjiang coinage during the Republican era, featuring a pair of Five-Coloured Flags tied to flagpoles, symbolising the Beiyang Government. Each stripe of the Five-Coloured Flag is adorned with floral motifs rendered in a distinctly Islamic artistic style.

During the late Qing and early Republican periods, Xinjiang had three official mints issuing copper coins. The earliest was the Dihua Copper Coin Bureau, located in the provincial capital, which operated from Guangxu 33 (AD 1907) to the 20th year of the Republic (AD 1931). The other two were the Kashgar Copper Coin Bureau, active from the 1st to the 23rd year of the Republic (AD 1912–1934), and the Aksu Copper Coin Bureau, which operated from the 1st to the 3rd year of the Republic (AD 1912–1914).

These mints employed traditional manual techniques supplemented by mechanical processes, resulting in a highly diverse and complex range of copper coin varieties in Xinjiang.

物件編號: A3721

年代: 公元 1912-1934 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 40.0 x 39.9 x 2.3 mm

重量: 26.55 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚民國初年，時間大致是公元1934年之前，於新疆當地流通的「新疆通寶」銅錢，其面額為二十文。

錢幣的質地十分厚實。錢幣正面的中間有一道珠圈環繞，珠圈內部是按照上、下、右、左的順序，圍繞著八瓣花飾的四個漢字「新疆通寶」。珠圈外圍則環繞國名「中華民國」和面額「當紅錢二十文」。二十文的新疆通寶按照中間圖案的差異，尚有五角星和大五角星兩種版型。

錢幣背面的周圍也有一道珠圈環繞，正中央是進入民國以來新疆當地常見的雙旗圖案設計，即一對綁在旗竿上面象徵北洋政府的五色旗。五色旗的每一個色條上面，皆有以極具伊斯蘭藝術風格的花草紋飾進行裝飾。

新疆於清末民初之際，全省共有三個發行銅元的單位，分別是最早開辦於光緒33年(公元1907年) 至民國20年(公元1931年) 位於省會的迪化銅元局，還有民國元年至23年(公元1912至1934年) 的喀什銅元局和民國元年至3年(公元1912至1914年)的阿克蘇銅元局。這些單位以機械輔助傳統的手工工藝鑄造銅幣，使得新疆的銅幣版型十分複雜多元。