30 Cash - Guangxu Pattern, type 2, copper

Szechuan's pattern coinage of 1904 reflects the province's struggle to establish a workable denomination structure for its new steam-powered mint. The 30 cash value was an awkward attempt to bridge the gap between the 10 and 50 cash pieces being trialed simultaneously, and it never advanced to regular production — likely because the denomination had no practical anchor in local trade custom.

The "type 2" distinction from KM#Pn6 separates this from at least one earlier die trial, suggesting the mint made meaningful design or technical adjustments between strikes. Pattern survivors from Szechuan in this period are rare in any condition, as provincial records of exact striking quantities were rarely preserved.