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20 Cash - Guangxu Copper
| Issuer | Kiangsu Province |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.8 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a sinuous Imperial Chinese dragon depicted in high relief, coiling across the central field with detailed scaled body, clawed feet, and an elaborately rendered head facing left. A flaming pearl is visible amid the dragon's coils, surrounded by cloud and flame motifs in the traditional style. The province name legend KIANG-SOO arcs across the upper portion of the field, and the denomination TWENTY CASH is inscribed along the lower arc, both in Latin capital letters. Small rosette or floral ornaments appear at either side of the design, separating the upper and lower legends. The entire design is framed by a beaded inner border and a milled outer rim. |
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| Mintage | 1902: ND (1902) |
| Additional information |
Kiangsu's adoption of machine-struck copper cash in the early 1900s came directly from the Qing court's 1900 edict authorizing provincial mints to produce Western-style milled coinage as a remedy for the chronic shortage of small-denomination currency. The 20 cash denomination was controversial from the start — provincial merchants frequently complained that the face value bore no honest relationship to copper content, fueling widespread discounting of the coins in local trade.
Y#163 is known with multiple die varieties traceable to different production runs at the Kiangsu mint.