Item NU 40506 Coin - 20 Cash, China, 1907

Summary

20 Cash, Issued by China, circa 1907
Mint is uncertain, once allocated to Kwangtung

Obverse Description

Central dragon surrounded by Chinese characters and text in border.

Reverse Description

Four chinese characters framed by beading and chinese characters.

Significance

The Annual Report of the Royal Mint, London for 1906 records of the Chinese 10-cash coin that, from all Chinese mints, over 10,000 million were in circulation. Earlier strikings were of low copper content though by 1905 a 95% standard was being achieved. The coins were only worth 3 or 4 cash but were forced into circulation at the 10 cash level. The number produced and the fact that they were not recieved in payment of taxes or government revenue saw them heavily discounted in circulation. On 22 August 1905 the Emperor approved a regulation that would establish a central mint at Tientsin (now Tianjin) with four branch mints at Nanking (now Nanjing), Tientsin, Wuchang and Canton (now Guangzhou). Expansion of all other mints was forbidden with an intention to close them when possible. The official banks were to watch money-changers and markets, with any attempt to raise or lower the value of the coins to be reported to the Board of Revenue or Provincial authorities. Reference: Royal Mint Annual Report 1906, pp.26-28 This piece is issued by the Board of Revenue after 1906 but the mint name is worn.