年 Mintmark Deutsch Kiautschou German Colony China 1909 Tsingtao 5 Cent Nickel Qingdao
DEUTSCH· KIAUTSCHOU GEBIET Wilhelm II, German Emperor Kiautschou Bay concession Center Mintmark Nian 年
Obverse: Chinese characters. Inscription within beaded circle. 島 青 大 分 伍 元壹洋大當枚十二每
China Kiaochow (Kiautschou) 5 and 10 Cents 1909 A study of Kiaochow history tells about the horrific circumstances leading to its take over by Germany in 1897. Kiaochow, with its many westernized spellings(Kiautschou, Kiao-chao, Kiauchau, Kiaochau, and others) was originally associated with Jiaozhou Bay in China's Yellow Sea. During its occupation by Germany, 5 and 10 cent coins were issued in small numbers and used for trade. The coins include Chinese characters as well as the German imperial eagle. The coinage of Kiaochou is restricted to two pieces thereby making it one of the least prolific fields from which numismatists may collect. Copper nickel coins of twenty-five percent nickel and seventy-five percent copper alloy were struck at the Berlin mint in Germany under the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm's mint-masters. These coins of five and ten cents denominations are all dated 1909 and bear on their obverse a German spread eagle with the inscription "Deutsch Kiautschou Gebiet" (German Kiaochou Territory) above and the date "1909" below. The coins' value appears to the left and right of the eagle. The reverse of these coins contain the Chinese inscription "Ta Der Guo Bao"(Germany's Currency) within an inner circle, and "Kiautschou, Ching Tao" (Kiaochou, Tsingtao) which appears in the border. The diameter of the five cent piece is 18.5 mm, while that of the ten cent coin is 21.5 mm. Mintage was restricted to 610,000 five cent and 670,000 ten cent pieces. The value of these coins was calculated on the basis of 100 cents being equal to one Mexican Silver Dollar. The Germans made these coins the sole legal tender coinage of the colony, forcing the Chinese to use them to the exclusion of the Chinese coins circulating elsewhere.
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