Summary

20 Cents, Issued by Kwangtung Province, China, Year 1 (1912)
Minted by Canton

Obverse Description

At centre, within circle of beads, Chinese legend; around, Chinese legend

Reverse Description

At centre, within circle of beads, 20; around above, KWANG-TUNG PROVINCE; around below, TWENTY CENTS

Edge Description

Milled

Significance

The mint at Canton was opened in 1889 with Edward Wyon as superintendent. It was equiped with modern machinery, ie. the coins were struck, not cast. In 1906 the Canton mint it was made one of four branch mints of the central mint at Tientsin, which had opened in 1905. This was a period of growing political unrest in China which culminated with the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912. The Canton mint remained a major producer of coins for China until it was closed in 1931.

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