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10 Fen - Guangxu Circled dragon
| Issuer | Kiangnan Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1898 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears a large four-character Chinese legend reading 光緒元寶 (Guangxu Yuanbao, meaning 'Guangxu Original Currency'), arranged vertically in two columns within a beaded inner circle. Flanking the central legend on both sides are smaller Manchu script characters rendering the same imperial title and mint designation. The outer border carries a circular Chinese legend reading 江南省造 (Made in Kiangnan Province) at the top, with the weight denomination 庫平七分二釐 (7.2 Candareens, standard treasury weight) displayed at the bottom. Four decorative rosettes punctuate the field at the cardinal points between the inner and outer legends. The entire design is enclosed within a finely beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese, Manchu |
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| Additional information |
The Kiangnan Mint opened in Shanghai in 1897 as part of the Qing dynasty's broader push to modernize provincial coinage following the humiliation of the First Sino-Japanese War. Kiangnan was among the better-equipped facilities, having imported British machinery, but early production runs were plagued by inconsistent alloy control — a known problem in the 1898 issues specifically.
Y#142 is one of several die variants from this inaugural period, before the mint settled on the standardized types that dominate later Kiangnan output.