5 Fen Pattern, 'Fat Man dollar' type, nickel, with G.L.

In 1914, Yuan Shikai's government commissioned pattern coinage in multiple denominations and metals as part of a broader monetary reform effort — the same program that produced the iconic "Fat Man" dollar bearing his portrait. The nickel 5 fen patterns were never adopted for circulation; the final subsidiary coinage system favored copper for low denominations. The "G.L." attribution refers to Giorgio Giorgi and L. Giorgi, the Italian engravers contracted through the mint advisory process, whose initials appear on select pattern varieties and distinguish Kann#815b from closely related pieces.