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1 Yuan Pattern, Inauguration of Hongxian Emperor, silver, tall hat
| Issuer | Tientsin Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Value | 1 Yuan = 1 Dollar |
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| Obverse description | Uniformed bust of Yuan Shikai facing slightly left, portrayed as the Hongxian Emperor, wearing a distinctive tall ceremonial hat (mianliu) with vertically striated tassels rising from an ornate floral band. The subject is attired in a military tunic adorned with epaulettes, decorative collar insignia, and a prominent starburst order on the chest. The portrait is rendered in high relief in the European medallic tradition, engraved by Luigi Giorgi, with a plain field and a beaded border encircling the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A pair of sinuous five-clawed imperial dragons confronting each other in high relief at the centre of the field, their scaled bodies intertwined around a central flaming pearl or decorative element. Above the dragons, the Chinese legend reads 中華帝國 (Zhonghua Diguo, Empire of China) arranged in two columns flanking the upper field. Below the dragons, a four-character inscription reads 洪憲紀元 (Hongxian Ji Yuan, Commemorating the First Year of Hongxian) set in two columns. The design is enclosed by a plain inner field and a finely beaded border at the rim. |
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| Additional information |
Yuan Shikai's Hongxian reign lasted 83 days before he abandoned the imperial project entirely in March 1916, dying of kidney failure three months later. This pattern was struck at Tientsin in anticipation of a coinage series that never entered circulation — the political collapse came too quickly. The "tall hat" designation distinguishes it from companion patterns where Yuan appears in military dress, a distinction that matters considerably to specialists since the two portrait types command very different prices and were likely prepared by different engravers or at different stages of the abortive planning process.