Item number: A3486

Year: AD 1913-1921

Material: Brass

Size: 33.1 x 33.2 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 10.1 g

Manufactured by: Tianjin General Mint of the Ministry of Finance

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a brass coin with a denomination of twenty wen, issued by the Tientsin Mint from AD 1913 (Year 2 of the Republic of China) to commemorate Yuan Shikai’s inauguration as the first formal President of the Republic. It is also believed by some to have been struck after AD 1921 (Year 10 of the Republic).

The obverse features a central motif of two crossed flags, both displaying the Five-Coloured Flag of the Beiyang Government period, symbolising the ideal of the “Republic of Five Races”. The coloured stripes on the flags are differentiated through various textural techniques such as dense vertical lines, dot patterns, plain fields, and closely spaced horizontal lines. The flags are crossed and tied with a corded tassel, with two tassels hanging down at a relatively wide interval. On either side of the flags are elaborate leafy branches, forming a lush, entwined floral design. Encircling the upper rim is the national title in Chinese characters, “Zhonghua Minguo” (“Republic of China”), inscribed in regular script, and along the lower rim, from right to left, is its English equivalent, “THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA”.

The reverse bears the denomination “Ershi Wen” (“Twenty Wen”) in the centre, written in regular script. Surrounding this is a design of paired rice ears (jiahe), arranged symmetrically and bearing dual or multiple grain clusters. Since the Zhou dynasty, such naturally occurring variations in rice panicles were regarded as auspicious signs due to their rarity and potential for increased yield, and were thus referred to as “auspicious grain” (jiahe). According to a proclamation issued by the Provisional Government in Nanking in the first year of the Republic, this motif was adopted “to signify a bountiful harvest and sufficiency for the people, and to promote agricultural diligence as a foundational virtue.” The lower part of the rice design is bound with a ribbon at the crossing point. Along the lower outer rim is the English inscription “TWENTY CASH”, denoting the face value. The coin has a dull brass colour. A report by the Ministry of Finance at the time attributed this to profit-driven practices, noting that “due to pursuit of surplus profit, the alloy composition no longer conformed to legal standards, and with no control over production quantities, the quality and composition became inconsistent.”

The edges of both sides are ringed and retain the brass colour. A series of small, square, inward-pointing teeth—known as “horse teeth”—serve to protect the coin’s imagery and deter counterfeiting, though they are severely worn. The coin rim is flat and smooth, devoid of any patterns.

In the 28th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (AD 1902), Yuan Shikai, then serving as Governor of Zhili and Beiyang Minister, appointed Zhou Xuexi, Director of the Kaiping Mining Bureau, to establish the “Beiyang General Mint for Silver Dollars” at Xiyaowo in Tianjin. Although named a silver dollar mint, it primarily produced copper coins. In the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906), the Ministry of Revenue restructured the minting system, renaming it the “Zhili Branch Mint of the Ministry of Revenue”. In the 33rd year of Guangxu (AD 1907), following further administrative reforms, it was renamed the “Tianjin Mint of the Ministry of Revenue”. In the early Xuantong era (AD 1909), minting authority was centralised. In the second year of Xuantong (AD 1910), the Beiyang Mint ceased production, and only the “General Mint of the Ministry of Revenue” on Dajing Road remained operational in Tianjin. In the first year of the Republic (AD 1912), Beiyang troops looted and destroyed the main mint building. Consequently, a branch mint was established at the former site of the Beiyang Silver Dollar Mint in Xiyaowo to resume copper coin production—referred to as the “Western Mint”. A new facility beside the former main mint was built to produce silver coins—known as the “Eastern Mint”. Together, these were amalgamated into the “Tianjin General Mint of the Ministry of Finance”.

The coin’s designs were created by Italian engraver Luigi Giorgi. Giorgi was a graduate of the School of Painting at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera) in Milan and gained prominence through his work at the privately operated Stefano Johnson Medal Factory (Stabilimento SPa Stefano Johnson). In the second year of Xuantong (AD 1910), he was appointed chief engraver at the Tianjin General Mint under the Ministry of Revenue, where he designed notable coins such as the “Great Qing Dragon Silver Coin”. After the Xinhai Revolution, Giorgi continued to serve under the Beiyang Government until the eighth year of the Republic (AD 1919), and was known for his numerous Yuan Shikai portrait silver coins. He is often confused with Evaristo Luigi Giorgi, a namesake and near-contemporary who served as chief engraver at the Rome Mint.

Yuan Shikai was one of the most influential military and political figures of the late Qing and early Republican periods. He rose to prominence through his reforms of the military system and the establishment of the Beiyang Army, becoming a central figure in China’s modernisation efforts. Following the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, he used his military leverage to negotiate with the Qing court, ultimately securing the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor and bringing the Qing dynasty to an end. In the first year of the Republic (AD 1912), to avoid civil war, Sun Yat-sen ceded the provisional presidency to Yuan, who was officially elected President the following year. Upon assuming office, Yuan quickly centralised power, suppressed the parliament, eliminated political rivals, and expanded the military and police apparatus to consolidate control. While implementing limited modernisation initiatives, he increasingly deviated from republican ideals, culminating in his self-proclamation as emperor in AD 1915 and the establishment of the short-lived “Empire of China”. This act provoked the National Protection Movement in the south and led to widespread opposition. Losing popular and military support, he was forced to abdicate after only eighty-three days and died the following year.

物件編號: A3486

年代: 公元 1913-1921 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 33.1 x 33.2 x 1.3 mm

重量: 10.1 g

製造地: 天津造幣總廠

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚於民國二年(公元1913年)起，天津造幣廠為紀念袁世凱就任民國首任制式大總統，所發行之「共和紀念幣」，材質為黃銅，面額為二十文。或稱鑄於民國十年(公元1921年)後。

銅元正面中央為雙旗圖，左右均為北洋政府時期之國旗五色旗，象徵五族共和。旗面以密豎文、點飾、無紋、密橫紋等的方式區分色帶。雙旗交叉，以纓相繫，有穗垂下，兩穗相隔較寬。雙旗左右側花葉纏枝，枝葉繁茂。上方環鐫國號「中華民國」楷書​，由右至左順讀。下方環鐫英文國號「THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA」。

銅元背面中央為「二十文」楷書，紀值。周圍環繞嘉禾圖，稻穗對生成呈雙穗或多穗。自周代起，這種稻穗的自然突變便由於其稀有與增產的效果，被視為祥瑞，故稱「嘉禾」。按民國元年南京臨時政府令採用，「取豐歲足民之義，垂勸農務本之規」。下方稻穗交叉處以帶相繫。外側下方環鐫英文「TWENTY CASH」，即面額「二十文」。銅色黯淡，當時財政部調查稱「因圖餘利之故，量色已非法定，嗣以鑄數無節，成色紛歧」。

正背面幣緣均有環，仍呈黃銅色。並有細方齒向內，稱「馬齒」，作保護幣圖及防偽之用，磨損較嚴重。幣稜平直，光素無紋。

光緒二十八年(公元1902年)，袁世凱任直隸總督兼北洋大臣，任直隸開平礦物局總辦周學熙，於天津西窯漥建「北洋鑄造銀元總局」。名為銀元局，實則造銅元為多。光緒三十二年(公元1906年)，戶部裁併鑄幣廠，更名「直隸戶部造幣北分廠」。光緒三十三年(公元1907年)，戶部改制度支部，是故造幣廠更名為「度支部造幣津廠」。宣統初年(公元1909年)，鑄幣權收歸中央，宣統二年(公元1910年)，北洋銀元局停鑄，天津僅存大經路之「度支部造幣總廠」。民國元年，北洋亂兵襲擊造幣總廠，廠房被毀。於是於西窯漥北洋銀元局舊址建「分廠」開鑄銅元，稱「西廠」，於總廠舊址旁另起「新廠」開鑄銀元，稱「東廠」。併為「財政部天津造幣總廠」。

幣圖均為義大利籍雕模師魯喬奇(Luigi Giorgi)所設計。喬奇畢業於米蘭的布雷拉美術學院繪畫學校(Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera)，於私人經營的斯蒂法諾·約翰遜獎章工廠(Stabilimento SPa Stefano Johnson)的獎章設計工作中嶄露頭角。後於宣統二年(公元1910年)起受聘於天津戶部造幣總廠，並擔任首席雕刻師，設計有大清龍圖銀幣等。辛亥革命後為北洋政府續聘，任職至民國八年(公元1919年)。以設計有多枚袁像銀元著名。常與同名、年代相近，曾於羅馬鑄幣廠任首席雕刻師的埃瓦里斯托·路易吉·喬治(Evaristo Luigi Giorgi)相混淆。

袁世凱是清末民初極具影響力的軍政人物，他在清朝末年以改革軍制、創建北洋新軍而崛起，成為近代中國軍事現代化的關鍵推手。辛亥革命爆發後，他憑藉掌握北洋軍的實力與清廷密切談判，最終促成溥儀退位，使清朝正式結束。民國元年(公元1912年)，孫中山為避免內戰，讓位於袁世凱，使其成為中華民國臨時大總統，次年轉為正式大總統。袁世凱上任後，迅速集權，壓制國會、排擠異己，並擴張軍警體系鞏固自身統治；他一方面推行有限的現代化政策，另一方面卻逐步背離共和原則，尤其在公元1915年自立為皇帝，建立短命的「中華帝國」，引發南方護國運動的激烈反對。他在民間與軍內支持迅速流失，稱帝僅83日即宣布退位，並於翌年病逝。