This is a “Sichuan Copper Coin” issued by the Great Han Sichuan Military Government and minted at its subordinate mints in Chengdu and Chongqing. Commonly referred to as the “Han-character copper coin,” it is composed of brass and has a denomination of ten wen.
The obverse features a stylised begonia blossom at its centre, with overlapping petals forming a cruciform or square shape, known as the “square flower.” Around it are the characters denoting the coin’s name, “Sichuan Copper Coin,” read from top to bottom and right to left. In the character “tong” (銅, copper), the “jin” (金, metal) radical is rendered as a single horizontal stroke rather than two dots, a style referred to as “horizontal gold.” A thick-beaded circle separates the central design from the edge. Along the upper arc is the inscription “Minted by the Military Government,” and along the lower arc, “Valued at Ten Wen.” On both the left and right sides, there is a four-petalled floral motif. The edges of both obverse and reverse are bordered with a raised rim containing square-toothed ornamentation, intended to protect the coin’s design and deter counterfeiting.
The reverse displays the seal script character “Han” (漢) at the centre. The “water” radical (氵) on the left side of the character is rendered with shortened strokes, a style referred to as the “short-water Han.” The background is filled with fine horizontal lines. This is encircled by a thin ring, beyond which lie eighteen hollow circular rings arranged around the perimeter. The space between the inner ring and the surrounding circles is filled with fine vertical lines. Along the upper outer rim is the inscription “First Year of the Republic of China,” indicating the initial year of mintage. On either side of the character “Han” is a four-petalled floral ornament. The character “Han” symbolises both the name of the issuing authority, the “Great Han Sichuan Independent Military Government,” and the political ideal of a “Great Han Federal Empire.” Together with the surrounding eighteen rings, it forms the emblem known as the “Great Han Banner,” representing the unity of the eighteen Han Chinese provinces in resisting Qing rule and rallying behind the revolutionary slogan: “Expel the Tartar barbarians and restore China.”
The Great Han Sichuan Military Government minted a large number of Han-character copper coins to promote revolutionary ideals and to fund its operations. The alloy was modified to white brass with increased proportions of lead and tin, resulting in a typical composition of 70% copper and 30% lead or zinc. The ten-wen coin weighed approximately two qian, the twenty-wen coin about three qian, and the fifty-wen coin five qian. In AD 1912, Yin Changheng, who was overseeing Sichuan frontier defence in the Kangding region, removed thousands of copper tiles from the Golden Summit of Mount Emei and transported them to Chengdu to be melted down for coin production. In AD 1913, Governor Hu Jingyi, in an effort to suppress the Second Revolution against Yuan Shikai, minted one hundred- and two hundred-wen copper coins to fund military campaigns. Around the same time, the Chongqing Mint was reopened. In that year alone, it produced approximately 19 million ten-wen coins and 19.96 million twenty-wen coins. Thereafter, the production of these denominations sharply declined. Minting of the ten- and twenty-wen coins ceased entirely in AD 1917. Due to the chaotic state of Sichuan’s currency system, Qing copper coins, coins from other provinces, and local Sichuan issues circulated simultaneously, with varying rates of exchange and premiums. Furthermore, rampant unauthorised and counterfeit minting by various warlords continued until the system was finally reformed by the Nationalist Government in AD 1926.
In the third year of the Xuantong reign (AD 1911), the Qing court decided to nationalise the provincially and privately funded railway companies. This decision triggered widespread opposition, leading to the eruption of the Railway Protection Movement across Sichuan. In September of that year, Governor Zhao Erfeng suppressed the protests, causing the movement to escalate into armed conflict in Chengdu, where hundreds were killed or injured. On 25 September, revolutionaries in Rong County launched an uprising and established the “Rong County Military Government.” The Qing court, in response to the worsening situation, dismissed Zhao Erfeng and deployed New Army troops from Hubei to Sichuan, thereby weakening Hubei’s own defences. On 10 October, the Wuchang Uprising broke out. Revolutionary forces in various regions followed suit. On 22 November, representatives in Chengdu convened and established the “Great Han Sichuan Military Government,” appointing Pu Dianjun, leader of the Railway Protection Association, as Governor, and Yin Changheng, Assistant Commander of the New Army Training Office, as Minister of Military Affairs. Realising the futility of resistance, Zhao Erfeng relinquished his authority. Subsequently, unrest over unpaid wages led to the Chengdu Mutiny, forcing Pu Dianjun into exile. Yin Changheng quelled the mutiny and arrested Zhao Erfeng—still residing in Chengdu—on charges of conspiracy and treason. Zhao was later executed, and Yin assumed the governorship, consolidating the remaining local regimes under the name “Sichuan Military Government.”
After the provisional government of the Republic of China was established in AD 1912, Sichuan was integrated into the national administrative system as “Sichuan Province of the Republic of China.” Branches of the former “Sichuan Military Government” were gradually incorporated into the official governmental structure. However, due to Sichuan’s vast territory, poor transportation infrastructure, and the entrenched power of regional factions, central government control remained weak. That same year, due to conflicts along the Sichuan–Tibet border, Yin Changheng also assumed the role of Pacification Commissioner of the Frontier. However, being distant from Chengdu, he lost influence. In AD 1913, his former subordinate Hu Jingyi, with support from Yuan Shikai, succeeded him as Governor of Sichuan. That same year, the outbreak of the “Second Revolution” intensified divisions between north and south, plunging Sichuan’s administration into further disorder. By around AD 1914, regional warlords such as Liu Xiang, Liu Wenhui, and Yang Sen had risen to power, carving out their own territories. Sichuan then entered a prolonged period of warlord conflicts, with political instability persisting until the central government reasserted control over the southwest in the 1930s.
