1 Tael - Guangxu Pattern, small clouds, copper

Pattern coinage from the late Qing fiscal reform period, when the Board of Revenue mint in Beijing was experimenting with tael-denominated machine-struck pieces to replace the centuries-old sycee silver system. The tael was never successfully decimalized — provincial resistance and the dynasty's collapse in 1912 ended the project entirely. The "small clouds" variety distinction points to deliberate die differentiation during trial production, suggesting multiple reverse punches were prepared and tested before any denomination reached circulation approval.