Item number: M518

Year: AD 1941

Material: Cupronickel

Size: 25.6 x 25.6 mm

Manufactured by: The Kunming Branch Of The Central Mint

Provenance: Champion Leilao Lda. 2025

This is an anniversary commemorative medal from the Kunming Branch of the Central Mint.

The medal is circular in form. Within the inner ring are three tall chimneys emitting dense smoke, whilst along the upper outer perimeter runs the seal script inscription “Commemorative Medal for the Anniversary of the Kunming Branch of the Central Mint”; along the lower outer perimeter runs the regular script inscription “New Year’s Day, the Thirtieth Year of the Republic of China”. The text fields are separated by the abstract overhead outlines of an aircraft, which differ markedly from the contours of the active service aircraft types of the Republic of China Air Force at the time. The border of the medal features a double-lined rim, the outer line being broad and the inner line fine.

The reverse depicts the de jure territorial map of the Republic of China at that time, with the area within the national borders rendered in a coarser surface texture. Inscribed above is the four-character cursive calligraphic phrase “Huan Wo He Shan” (“Restoring Our Rivers and Mountains”), compiled by Zhou Chengzhong from rubbings of Yue Fei’s handwritten calligraphy of the Essay Mourning the Ancient Battlefield. The character “Huan” was extracted from the phrase “Huan from the Qin and Han Dynasties”; the character “Wo” was derived from the lower section of the character “Yi” in the phrase “There is singularity distinct from benevolence and righteousness”; and the characters “He” and “Shan” were taken from the phrase “Where the Yellow River winds like a belt and mountains entangle in profusion”. Consequently, although written in cursive script, the brushstrokes do not connect. Positioned above this is the Blue Sky with a White Sun emblem, which served simultaneously as the party and national emblem, with its border featuring interlocking inner and outer square teeth. The edge of the medal is bounded by a rim.

Owing to its abundant copper resources, Yunnan has been a major minting stronghold in Southwestern China since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when the Baodian and Baoyun Mints produced cast cash coins. Upon entering the era of machine-struck coinage, the Kunming Mint struck the “Uphold the Republic” commemorative copper coin in AD 1916. Minting was subsequently suspended for a decade before the mint resumed operations in AD 1932 to coincide with the establishment of the New Fu-Tien Bank, issuing the 21st Year of the Republic clerical script edition of the “One Cent”, “Two Cents”, and “Five Cents” brass subsidiary coins. Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Ministry of Finance took over the Yunnan Mint in AD 1939 and reorganised it as the “Kunming Branch of the Central Mint”. In response to the wartime scarcity of copper, the Kunming Branch adjusted its minting specifications and issued reduced-weight brass subsidiary coins in regular script for “One Cent” and “Two Cents” to meet the market and logistical circulation demands of the rear areas. In AD 1949, following the complete collapse of the Gold Yuan note policy, the Kunming Branch briefly reused obsolete dies to restrike a portion of silver and copper coins, before the mint was ultimately taken over by the People’s Government and ceased production.

In AD 1938, following the Battle of Wuhan, the Imperial Japanese Army shifted to a stage of strategic stalemate with the National Army. Coupled with the United States embargo on oil exports to Japan and the deadlock in Japanese-American negotiations, the severe energy deficit compelled Japan to attempt a “Southern Advance” into Southeast Asia to sever China’s international supply routes (such as the Burma Road) and seize strategic resources, including petroleum. This subsequently triggered a gambler’s mentality and a reckless disregard for the United States within the Japanese leadership. Lacking both long-term strategic planning and effective measures to reconcile the deep-seated divisions between the Army and the Navy, Japan launched the Pacific War in AD 1941, thereby bringing China’s solitary war of resistance since AD 1937 into close cooperation with the international Anti-Fascist alliance.

物件編號: M518

年代: 公元 1941 年

材質: 白銅

尺寸: 25.6 x 25.6 mm

製造地: 中央造幣廠昆明分廠

來源: 冠軍拍賣 2025

這是一枚中央造幣廠昆明分廠的週年紀念章。

章體呈圓形。中央環內為三座冒著濃煙的高大煙囪，環外上側則環列篆書「中央造幣廠昆明分廠週年紀念」；下側環列楷書「民國三十年元旦」。字段間以抽象的飛機俯視輪廓作隔，與當時中華民國空軍的服役機種輪廓均有不小區別。章緣有雙邊環，外寬內細。

背面為當時中華民國法理邊境地圖，國境線內以較粗糙的表面表示。上書草寫四字「還我河山」，由周承忠自九一八事變後，從岳飛的手書《弔古戰場文》的碑拓摘集，取「秦漢而還」中的「還」字；取「奇中有異於仁義」一句中，「義」的下半部分截出了「我」字；取「河水縈帶，群山糾紛」句中「河」、「山」二字。因此，雖為草書，但並不連筆。其上為同時作黨徽與國徽之用的青天白日徽，邊緣為相互嚙合的內外兩層方齒。章緣有邊環。

雲南因富含銅礦，自明清寶滇、寶雲兩局鑄造制錢起，即為西南地區的造幣重鎮。進入機製幣時代後，昆明造幣廠於公元1916年鑄造「擁護共和」紀念銅幣，後停鑄十年，於公元1932年配合富滇新銀行發行民國二十一年隸書版「壹仙、貳仙、伍仙」黃銅輔幣。抗日戰爭爆發後，財政部於公元1939年接收雲南造幣廠並改組為「中央造幣廠昆明分廠」；因應戰時銅料匱乏的情況，昆明分廠調整鑄造規格，發行減重版的楷書「壹仙」、「二仙」黃銅輔幣，供應大後方市場與物資流通需求；公元1949年因金圓券發行失敗，昆明廠曾沿用舊模具重鑄部分銀幣與銅幣，最終由人民政府接管並停止生產。

公元1938年，武漢會戰後，日軍改為與國軍戰略相持，加上美對日實施石油禁運與日美談判觸礁，迫使極度缺乏能源的日本企圖透過「南進」東南亞以切斷中國外援（如滇緬公路）並奪取石油等戰略資源，進而誘發其賭徒心態與對美輕忽，在缺乏長遠戰略規劃與彌合陸海軍分歧的作為下，於公元1941年發動了太平洋戰爭，使中國自公元1937年以來的孤立抗戰迎來了與國際反法西斯陣營的密切合作。