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5 Mace - Xianfeng Issued by Yu Sen-sheng, engraved by Wang Shou
| Issuer | Yu Sen-sheng Commercial House, Shanghai |
|---|---|
| Year | 1856 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The obverse bears four vertical columns of four Chinese ideograms each, arranged in the field and read from right to left in traditional fashion. The inscription identifies the issuing authority and the nature of the piece, reading: 'Year 6 of Xianfeng, Shanghai District, Business Firm of Yu Sen-sheng, Cake of Fine Silver.' The characters are cleanly rendered in a formal script style typical of mid-19th century Chinese silver sycee and commercial ingot issues. No decorative border or additional design elements are present; the legend alone fills the entire flan. The composition is austere and functional, consistent with the commercial silver certificate tradition of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
Yu Sen-sheng was one of several Shanghai commercial houses issuing private silver sycee-style pieces during the chaos of the Taiping Rebellion, when official Qing monetary infrastructure had collapsed across large swaths of central and eastern China. These house issues filled a genuine transactional void — Qing cash coins were debased, official silver supply was disrupted, and merchants needed a trusted medium with verifiable weight and issuer accountability. The engraver's name, Wang Shou, appearing on a piece of this type is unusual; individual craftsmen are rarely credited on Chinese commercial silver of the period.