This is a copper coin with a denomination of ten wen, minted by the Anqing Mint and issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China between AD 1912 and 1925 as a Founding Commemorative Coin.
The obverse features the denomination “Ten Wen” (十文) in regular script (kaishu) at the centre, flanked by ears of rice and leafy vegetation. A ring of beading separates the central motif from the outer rim, which is encircled by a continuous pattern of foliage, likely representing the Chinese trumpet creeper (Campsis grandiflora). The vine-like stems are interconnected, with the pointed leaf tips oriented in a counterclockwise direction, a pattern commonly referred to as the “continuous leaf design” (連葉紋).
The reverse displays a crossed double-flag motif. The flag on the right is the Five-Coloured Flag of the Beiyang Government era, symbolising the ideal of harmony among the five major ethnic groups of the Republic. It consists of five flat, parallel stripes, separated by finely engraved incised curves. The flag on the left is the Nineteen-Star Flag. Following the Wuchang Uprising, the Iron and Blood Eighteen-Star Flag came to symbolise the united republicanism of the eighteen Han provinces. The Beiyang Government later added a central star to represent the central government, making it the official flag of the Army and Navy. The star design is composite: the long-armed nine-pointed star is engraved in intaglio, while the surrounding eighteen stars are in relief, arranged in interlocking pairs without a central axis of symmetry. These elements converge to form an irregular circular field, which contains a sequence of concentric rings—incuse, relief, and incuse—surrounding a single raised dot at the centre. The two flags are crossed and bound by a tasselled cord, with two tassels hanging down and spaced widely apart. On either side of the flags are intricate scrolls of intertwined leaves and flowers, rendered in high relief with lush detailing. The lower ends of the scrollwork terminate in a hook-like flourish, a feature known as the “hooked branch tip” (鈎枝頭). Encircling the top of the coin is the national title “Zhonghua Minguo” (“Republic of China”), and along the bottom, “Kaiguo Jinian Bi” (“Founding Commemorative Coin”), all in regular script. The flagpoles, floral stems, and tassel cords are delineated in raised outline.
Additionally, the reverse of the coin bears an incuse stamp reading “Li Ji” (禮記) in vertically arranged regular script, enclosed within a rounded rectangular frame. The term “Li Ji” likely refers to a commercial firm. During the late Qing and early Republican periods, when the monetary system was unstable, private merchants frequently applied stamped endorsements to coins to signify their recognition of the currency’s value. While this practice was more common with high-value silver dollars, it occasionally appeared on copper coins as well. The most well-known firm bearing the name “Li Ji” was the German-owned Carlowitz & Co. (commonly known in Chinese as 禮和洋行), though “Li Ji” and “Li He” were often used interchangeably in Chinese. There was also a separate British firm known as “Li Ji Yanghang” (禮記洋行), active in the tea trade in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican era.
The raised rims on both the obverse and reverse feature a series of inward-pointing rectangular serrations with tapered ends, intended to protect the coin’s design from wear. The edge of the coin is flat and plain, without any additional 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.
Carlowitz & Co., also known in Chinese as Lihe Yanghang (禮和洋行), was founded in AD 1846 by Richard von Carlowitz (Chinese name: Ba Jiawei, 巴甲威) and German merchant Bernhard Harkort in Guangzhou. Initially established under the name “Carlowitz Harkort & Co.”, the firm was engaged in shipping and insurance agency services. After Harkort’s withdrawal, the company was renamed “Carlowitz & Co.” and continued operations with its head office based in Guangzhou, later expanding into Hong Kong and Shanghai. Shanghai eventually became its Far Eastern headquarters. In the ensuing years, Carlowitz & Co. established branch offices in Qingdao, Jinan, Tianjin, Hankou, Shenyang, and Nanjing, becoming one of the most prominent German trading houses operating in modern China. The firm represented a number of major German industrial enterprises and manufacturers, including the Hamburg-America Line, Krupp Steelworks, Carl Zeiss optical instruments, Sweden’s Bofors arms factory, and the American Goodyear Rubber Company. It was also actively involved in the trade of chemical materials and mechanical equipment. Between AD 1931 and 1937, Carlowitz & Co. played a pivotal role in Sino-German military cooperation by facilitating the procurement of large quantities of German armaments on behalf of the Nationalist Government.
