Summary

10 Cash, Issued by Chihli (the name of the Provence was changed toHebei (Hopei) in 1928), China, nd. (1902-1906)
Struck at the Peiyang Arsenal mint, Tientsin

Obverse Description

At centre within a circle of beads, four Chinese characters; around, 11 characters and 2 rosettes

Reverse Description

At centre within a bead circle, a dragon facing, body curved around a pearl; around above, PEI YANG; around below, * TEN CASH *

Edge Description

The edge is plain

Significance

The name of the Province, Chihli meant 'directly ruled' (by the Imperial Court) and so was changed in 1928 to Hebei (meaning 'north of the river' in this case meaning the Yellow River).

The mint at the Peiyang Arsenal replaced the Paoting mint which produced cast coins for the Province in 1888. It was upgraded with a silver coin section in 1896 but was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901) and not re-opened until 1902. 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). This coin was struck between 1902 and the new Board of Revenue style issue which resulted from the Imperial regulation in 1906. Also, under the 1905 regulation, expansion of all other mints was forbidden with an intention to close them when possible. As a result the Peiyang Arsenal mint which was in Tientsin was merged with Teintsin central mint in 1910.

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