Summary

10 Cash, Issued by Kwangtung (Guangdong), China, 1907
Minted by Canton (Guangzhou)

Obverse Description

At centre, a raised circle with the Chinese mint character 'Yueh' incuse, around within circle of beads four Chinese characters; around, outside circle of beads, 8 characters (those at left and right sides for Board of Revenue)

Reverse Description

At centre, a dragon, facing; around below, TAI-CHING-TI-KUO COPPER COIN; around above, four Chinese characters

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

The Canton mint was a branch of the central mint at Tientsing from 1906. It had begun operation with modern minting machinery in 1889.

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

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