Catalog
| Issuer | Hupeh Province |
|---|---|
| Year | 1895-1907 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | 1 Yuan |
| Currency | Yuan (1895-1949) |
| Composition | Silver (.900) |
| Weight | 26.70 g |
| Diameter | 39 mm |
| Thickness | |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Engraver(s) | |
| In circulation to | |
| Reference(s) | Y#127.1, L&M#182 |
| Obverse description | Four Chinese ideograms read top to bottom, right left with Manchu characters in the centre, all surrounded by more Chinese ideograms. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese, Mongolian / Manchu |
| Obverse lettering |
造省北湖 光 ᠪᠠᡩᠠᡵᠠᠩᡤᠠ 寶 ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ ᠪᠣᠣ 元 ᡩᠣᡵᠣ 緒 分二錢七平庫 (Translation: Made in Hupeh Province Guangxu (Emperor) / Yuanbao (Original currency) Guangxu (Emperor) / Yuanbao (Original currency) Worth 7 Mace and 2 Candareens (weight)) |
| Reverse description | Dragon with pearl at centre surrounded by English legend. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | HU-PEH PROVINCE 7 MACE AND 2 CANDAREENS |
| Edge | Reeded. |
| Mint | |
| Mintage |
ND (1895-1907) - - 19 935 000 |
| Numisquare ID | 3462908160 |
| Additional information |
Historical Context: This 1 Yuan silver coin, issued by Hupeh Province (1895-1907), dates from the tumultuous late Qing Dynasty under the Guangxu Emperor. This era saw internal strife and escalating foreign influence. As central authority waned, vital provinces like Hupeh minted their own modern coinage. These provincial issues were crucial for local commerce, facilitating trade, and replacing traditional sycee, marking a pivotal transition towards a standardized currency system influenced by Western practices.
Artistry: The 1 Yuan's design fuses traditional Chinese symbolism with late 19th-century Western minting aesthetics, reflecting British Royal Mint techniques common in Chinese mints. The obverse features "Guang Xu