Tibet Silver Szechuan 1/4 Rupee Emperor Guang Xu 1904 Qing Dyn
Guang Xu Emperor Tibet Silver 1/4 Rupee Szechuan Mint 1904-1912 AD Size: 19 mm; Weight: 2.8 grams; Material: Silver .935 References: Y# 1, L&M# 362, Kann# 596 Obverse Bust of Emperor Guangxu to the left Reverse Chinese script in ornaments 四 Translation: Struck in the Province of Sichuan
1/4 Rupee The obverse of this coin bears a portrait of Emperor Kuang Hsu. This 1/4 rupee is known as the Szechuan rupee coin by the Chinese collectors. A rosette is located in the center. This coin belongs to the early minted type. This coin is more valuable than a common Szechuan 1/4 Rupee of the same condition in the coin shop.
Guang Xu Emperor Tibet Silver Szechuan Rupee 1905-1912 AD Western idea of Tibet is somewhere distant and exotic, yet in the markets of Tibet; Yunnam and Szechuan Provinces of China were flooded with Indian Rupee or other foreign coins during the early 20th century, the 四川總督 Governor General of Szechuan Province of China, 錫良 "Hsi Liang" and his assistant 趙爾豐 "Chao I-Feng" ( 永寧道台 Yung Ning Tao T'ai), decided to mint a new type of silver coin which is similar to 爐關 "Lu Kuang" silver coins. The new coinage was known as 四川盧比 Szechuan Rupee, (also known as Tibet Rupee) it served as a counter-measure to resist the influx of the foreign currency. [Szechuen Rupee is also known as 藏洋 "T'sang Yang"; 藏元 "T'sang Yuan"; 川卡 "Chuen Ch'ia"; 藏幣 "T'sang Pi" and洋錢 "Yang Chien"] In the 31st year of Emperor Kuang Hsu reign of the Qing dynasty, (1905AD) Chengtu Mint of Szechuen Province according to the form of Indian Rupee minted 3 kinds of silver coin in denominations of 1 Rupee (weighing 3.6 maces with 90% silver), half Rupee (weighing 1.6 maces with 86% silver) and quarter Rupee (weighing 0.9 maces with 82% silver). The Szechuan Rupee had on its obverse the half-length portrait of Emperor Kuang Hsu. It may be the earliest coin that carried the portrait of an emperor in China. [SCOWC (page 1709) stated that similar crown size pieces struck in silver and gold are fantasies. Refer to Unusual World Coins, 2nd edition.]
Amendment about the silver coins using in China According to the "Tentative Measures Concerning the Management of Gold & Silver and the Ban on Circulation of Foreign Currency in the Tibet Autonomous Region" issued by the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region on 10 May, 1962, the circulation of silver coins on the currency market in China came to an end should be on 10 May, 1962.
The Mintage of Szechuan Rupee
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