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1 Tael - Guangxu Pattern, small clouds, silver
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1907 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A powerful five-clawed imperial dragon rendered in high relief occupies the central field, depicted full-face with its sinuous scaled body coiling around a central flaming pearl. The dragon's fierce visage, with open jaws and prominent horns, dominates the composition, while its body and tail curl dynamically amid stylised wave crests at the base. The entire design is encircled by a profusion of small, tightly scrolled auspicious clouds arranged continuously around the periphery, filling the field between the dragon and the raised border ring. No legend or inscription appears on this uniface pattern piece. The overall design reflects the bold, deeply engraved style associated with the Guangxu-era tael pattern coinage reform proposals. |
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| Mintage | 1907: ND (1907) |
| Additional information |
Pattern taels of this period reflect the Qing court's protracted internal debate over currency reform — specifically whether to adopt a tael-based or dollar-based silver standard. The 1907 patterns were produced under the Board of Revenue Mint in Beijing as part of that unresolved argument, and no unified standard was ever implemented before the dynasty collapsed in 1912.
The "small clouds" variety designation distinguishes this die from related 1907 tael patterns with differently rendered cloud details — a distinction that matters because multiple dies were prepared during the same reform trials. L&M 1024A places this among the rarer of the known variants.