Xu Shichang, also known as Hsu Shih-chang, held the office of president of the Republic of China between October 10th, 1918 and June 2nd, 1922. His presidency, which lasted a little over four years, is remarkable among those in the … Read More
Political Figures
1928 Auto Dollar
1928 (Year 17) Auto Dollar L&M-609; K-757; Y-428 The Legend Guizhou Province in southern China is a rocky, mountainous and rugged region, and even with today’s technology and modern infrastructure, getting around can still be fairly challenging! Rewind the clock … Read More
1923 Dragon and Phoenix Dollar
1923 Dragon and Phoenix Dollar Creating a National Emblem With the collapse and ousting of the Qing dynasty in 1912, China was in a state of political upheaval. Dynastic China had come to an end, and the newly founded Republic … Read More
Silver Junk Dollars 1932-1934
Historical Background 1929 was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Republic of China, with the announcement on December 29th 1928 that all flags of the Beiyang Government were to be replaced by the flag of … Read More
1993 Possessing a Piece of the Homeland 5 oz Gold Proof Coin
Series Overview The “Possessing a Piece of the Homeland” (from now on referred to as the “Homeland”) set was a one-off commemorative set struck in 1993 consisting of 11 coins – 6 gold and 5 silver – with depictions of … Read More
Introduction to the Guangxu Tael
The Tael as a Unit of Measurement in China Before the standardisation of the tael to 50 g by the People’s Republic of China in 1959 in order to better coordinate with the metric system, a tael, or liang 两, … Read More
The Tsao Kun Commemorative Dollar
Historical Background Cao Kun (1862-1938), or Tsao Kun, was President of the Republic of China between 10th October 1923 and 30th October 1924, holding office for little over a year. He was a prominent figure during the Warlord Period of … Read More
The Coin that Marked the End of an Era: 1911 Silver Dragon Dollar
The 1911 silver dragon dollar is perhaps one of the most popular of all the silver dragon dollars among numismatists and collectors. A product of the Central Tianjin Mint, they were struck during 1911 – a year of great political … Read More
The 1903 Chihli Silver Dollar
1903 Chihli silver dollars are somewhat rarer than their 1908 counterparts, mainly due to mintage. The name Chihli, or Zhili, comes from the name of a former province of northern China which included the capital, Beijing. However, the province, home … Read More
Yuan Shikai Dollar: Origins of the “O Mint Mark” and the “Triangular Yuan”
Two of the most well known variations of the Yuan Shikai silver Dollar are the O mint mark and the triangular yuan varieties. These are both variations of the 1914 or “Year Three” Yuan Shikai Dollars. However, despite their popularity, … Read More