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1 Yuan / 1 Dollar Founding of the Republic: Yuan Shikai
| Issuer | Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 26.70 g |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust effigy of Yuan Shikai in military uniform, wearing an elaborate plumed ceremonial hat with decorative band, epaulettes on each shoulder, and a prominent starburst order of merit on the chest. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine engraved detail to the facial features, including a moustache and goatee. A beaded border encircles the entire design. The field is smooth and unlettered, with no inscription on the obverse. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Chinese/Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Yuan Shikai dollar — universally called the "Fatman dollar" in the trade — became the dominant silver currency of Republican China almost immediately after its 1914 introduction, displacing the older dragon dollars through sheer volume of issue. Yuan himself had been angling toward a monarchy, and these coins were minted in part to legitimize his rule; his imperial ambitions collapsed within 83 days of proclaiming himself the Hongxian Emperor in late 1915, and he was dead by June 1916.
Enormous quantities were restruck well into the 1920s and beyond, making date attribution nearly meaningless for most specimens. The 1914 issues struck at the Tientsin Mint under Belgian technical supervision are generally considered the most carefully produced of the series.