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1 Yuan - Guangxu 7 Mace and 3 Candareens
| Issuer | Kwangtung Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays four large Chinese characters reading 光緒元寶 (Guangxu Yuanbao), arranged in cruciform fashion around a small vertical panel of Manchu script in the center. The coin exhibits a beaded inner border enclosing the central design, with the Latin legend KWANG-TUNG PROVINCE arcing across the upper periphery and 7 MACE AND 3 CANDAREENS along the lower periphery, both separated by rosette or floral ornaments. Additional Manchu characters appear to the left and right of the central Chinese inscription, flanking the denomination panel. The overall design is executed in high relief with a flat field, characteristic of late Qing dynasty provincial milled coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The Kwangtung Mint's 1889 dollar-weight issue was among the first machine-struck silver coins produced in China, manufactured on imported British presses and supervised in part by foreign technicians. Viceroy Zhang Zhidong had pushed for the Guangzhou facility precisely to counter the dominance of foreign trade dollars — particularly the Mexican peso — that had long served as the de facto currency of South China's commerce. The "7 Mace and 3 Candareens" denomination was deliberately calibrated to match the Mexican dollar's weight, though the 10% alloy discount versus pure silver gave merchants grounds to discount it anyway.
Early die workmanship on this type shows inconsistencies in the pearl border spacing, a known characteristic of the first production runs.