A Silver Piece with a Spanish Emblem
Circulated in China
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| A1 Obverse | A2 Reverse
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| B1 Obverse | B2 Reverse |
- A: Silver Piece was a kind of silver currency circulated in the
southeast coasted provinces such as KwangTung, Fukien. In late
Ching period
a hoard of such silver piece also had been excavated in Taiwan and reported,
which indicated that it had been once used in this island.
- Such kind of silver pieces, according to those have been discovered,
were all crudely made and sheared, with their shapes in multiple angles and
irregularity. The commons as may be concluded, are their weights all being
unified into approximately 27g or 13.5g, severally equal to 7 maces and 2
candareens, or the half, same as standard weights of silver coins of 1
dollar and 1/2 dollar used in China in late Ching Dynasty. It is evidently
that the silver pieces were all sheared, in a way, to comply with such
standards.
- Such kind of silver pieces are considered as made in Spanish Mexico
by most of the numismatic experts in China, and as I know, they have not
come to a conclusion about when and how did it happen? (Please refers to
Page 663. Chinese Currency’s History, written by Peng Hsin-Wei, 1958,
Shanghai).
- Its obverse has a Spanish emblem and the reverse bears a symbol that I
have never seen before. From late 17th to early 20th century Spain had
massively exported silver coins (B: Spanish Mexican Silver Coin) into China
from the former Mexico, which had become a colony of Spain in 1519. Those
silver coins were welcome by Chinese and acted as one of the major currency
in the country, all of those coins were also inscribed with Spanish emblem
(B2).
- If we hold truth that the silver pieces were made in Spanish Mexico,
then, it is quite unlikely that Spanish would introduce such silver pieces
into Chinese market, in addition to the silver coins, in a same time, and
let them fight each other. The question will be When and why were the
silver pieces made?
- I assume that such silver pieces should be made during 1820’s-1850’s,
the interim period between the time when Spanish American colonies had
severally declared their independence from Spain, such as Mexico in 1810,
Peru in 1821, Bolivia in 1825. Independence declaration caused the lapse of
the silver coin production in 1821, and the time when Chinese merchants
publicly decided to take Mexican Eagle Silver dollars (Yin
Yang) in
superseding the vacancy left by Spanish silver coins (Ban Yang) in the
6th
year of Hsieng Feng (1856, 1851-1861). During the interim period, Chinese
were suffered by the shortage of Spanish silver dollars, their price had
been raised up sky high. It should be niche timing for the silver pieces to
enter Chinese market.
- The silver pieces, as I assumed, could be produced by Peru or Bolivia,
after their independence, with a view to boast the silver pieces having the
same origin as the former Spanish silver coins did. The Spanish emblem, a
symbol that Chinese had been long familiar with, was used to coat on their
silver pieces. Besides, we may also notice a slight difference from the
emblem of the shown silver piece (A1), the crown had been taken out from the
top it used to be (B2), which might perhaps have certain political messages
within.
- l I have little sense about early American currency. The above
assumptions, therefore, are not standing on a solid ground, those readers
who may help me to get more information in related, will be highly
appreciated.
3 Major Foreign Silver Currencies Circulated in China
during the 1st half of the 18th Century
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