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1 Tael Bullion coinage, Hunan Branch of The Imperial Bank
| Issuer | Imperial Bank of China, Hunan Branch |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Tael |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Within a raised rim bordered by a ring of raised beads, six large Chinese characters are arranged in three columns across the field, reading 湖大清 / 南銀行 (Hunan Branch of the Imperial Bank). The characters are rendered in bold relief with clean strokes against a flat, unadorned field. No additional decorative elements, portraits, or Latin legends are present. The overall design is austere and functional, consistent with bullion coinage of the late Qing dynasty. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within a raised rim bordered by a ring of raised beads, six Chinese characters are arranged in three columns across the field, reading 省平 / 足紋 / 壹兩, denoting the denomination and fineness of the piece. The inscription translates as 'Provincial Scale Fine Silver, One Tael,' confirming the coin's status as a certified bullion weight piece. The characters are boldly struck in high relief against a plain, unadorned field. The design is utilitarian in character, reflecting the commercial and banking function of this issue. No figurative imagery or additional ornamentation appears. |
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| Additional information |
The Imperial Bank of China, established in 1897 as the country's first modern state bank, issued provincial tael-weight bullion pieces through its branch network during the final convulsive years of the Qing dynasty. The Hunan branch issues are among the rarest in this series — the province's monetary infrastructure was perpetually disrupted by lingering instability following the Taiping devastation of earlier decades and the growing revolutionary agitation that would culminate in the Wuchang Uprising just three years after this piece was struck.
Kann 962 is documented in vanishingly small surviving numbers, consistent with what appears to have been very limited branch production before the bank's effective collapse under the Republican transition.