Commemorative coin for the founding of the Republic of China

This Chinese coin dates from the early days of the Republic of China. The Xinhai Revolution (Xinhai geming 辛亥革命) in 1912 finally overthrew the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), marking the end of more than two thousand years of imperial China. The Republic of China was established and Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 (1859–1916) was chosen as the republic’s first president. A former Qing Dynasty military commander, he effectively “hijacked” the revolution and sought to re-establish absolutist power by proclaiming himself emperor in 1915. His plan did not quite work out, as he died a year later.

This coin is no longer a traditional Chinese coin with a square hole in the centre (fangkong qian 方孔錢), but a modern machine-minted specimen. On its obverse is the portrait of Yuan Shikai, around which is the inscription Zhonghua minguo kaiguo jinian bi 中華民國開國紀念幣, which means “Commemorative Coin for the Founding of the Republic of China”. This is thus a coin minted in 1912 as a commemorative or jubilee coin in honour of the first president, Yuan Shikai, to celebrate the founding of the republic. The reverse bears the inscription in English: Republic of China, One Dollar. (MG)