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1 Tael - Guangxu Brass
| Issuer | Hupeh Provincial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1904 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two sinuous dragons in high relief are displayed symmetrically on either side of a central vertical panel bearing two large Chinese ideograms denoting the denomination of one Liang. A flaming pearl is positioned above between the dragon heads. The English legend 'HU-PEH PROVINCE' arcs across the upper periphery and 'ONE TAEL' appears along the lower periphery, while Manchu script is placed to the left and right of the central panel. The design reflects the bilingual Chinese-English convention adopted for late Qing provincial tael coinage intended for international trade. |
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| Mintage | 30 (1904) |
| Additional information |
The Hupeh Provincial Mint was one of the first modernized mints in China, established in 1893 under Zhang Zhidong's industrialization program. This 1904 brass tael belongs to a transitional moment when provincial mints were experimenting with base metal substitutes as silver supplies tightened and the Qing fiscal apparatus strained under indemnity payments following the Boxer Protocol of 1901.
Brass tael pieces from Hupeh in this period are generally understood to be patterns or presentation strikes rather than circulation issues — no evidence supports mass distribution of brass taels through commercial channels.