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1 Yuan Memento: Birth of the Republic
| Issuer | Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1912-1927 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing draped bust of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China, depicted in a mandarin-collared jacket, positioned within a beaded inner circle. Flanking the portrait on either side are decorative floral sprays in low relief. The Chinese legend 中華民國 (Republic of China) arcs across the upper field, while 開國紀念幣 (Founding Commemorative Coin) is distributed across the lower and lateral fields outside the beaded border, all enclosed within a toothed outer rim. |
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| Reverse script | Chinese, Latin |
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| Additional information |
The "Memento" dollars — so called from the Latin inscription on the reverse — were struck to commemorate the founding of the Republic following the Xinhai Revolution and the abdication of the Qing dynasty's last emperor, Puyi, in February 1912. Yuan Shikai, who would later attempt to crown himself emperor in 1915, authorized early production as part of a broader effort to legitimize the new government through modern coinage. The long date range reflects not a continuous mint run but episodic restrikings, many of commercial rather than governmental origin.
Genuine examples and contemporary counterfeits circulated side by side for decades, complicating attribution to this day.