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50 Tael - Zhiyuan Yuanbao, 8 stamps
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1277 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Tael |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 元 宝 (Translation: Yuan Bao Yuan dynasty treasure) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Zhiyuan Yuanbao ingots were issued under Kublai Khan's Zhiyuan reign period as the Mongol Yuan dynasty consolidated control over China. Silver sycee of this type functioned as high-value fiscal instruments — used for tax payments, treasury transfers, and large commercial settlements rather than everyday exchange. The 50-tael denomination puts this firmly in the upper tier of official monetary instruments, moving between government hands rather than merchants.
The eight stamps are the critical detail here. Each cartouche represents a separate assay or transit verification, applied as the ingot passed through official hands. More stamps generally indicate more documented circulation through the fiscal bureaucracy.