Summary

10 Cash, Issued by Honan (Henan) Province, China, circa 1905
Minted by Kaifeng

Obverse Description

At centre, a raised yin-yang circle, around within circle of beads four Chinese characters; around, outside circle of beads, 11 characters

Reverse Description

At centre, a dragon, facing; around above, HO-NAN; around below, TEN CASH

Edge Description

plain

Significance

The modern mint at Kaifeng was opened in 1905 to produce profitable 1 and 10 cash coins. Provincial 10-cash coins, though only worth 3 or 4 cash were being forced into circulation throughout China. 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. Kaifeng produced new, standardised, 10 cash coins from 1906 but was closed in 1914. Reference: Royal Mint (London) Annual Report 1906, pp.26-28.

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