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The Varieties of the Szechuan Rupee

The Special Editions
(Chinese in Big-5)

There are too many recognized varieties of the Szechuan rupee coins (or Sichuan rupee). Szechuan Rupees were divided into four main editions (Type 1 to Type 4) with about 42 variations. They come in a variety of designs, ranging from simple to intricate. These varieties are usually not identified by even the Chinese collectors for lack of references.

I am a casual coin collector only, I learn the varieties of the Szechuan rupees from other fellew collectors. Please view the below Szechuan rupee specimens, most of them come from my fellow collectors. Thanks indeed to my friends!



Marks of Rareness of the Collected Currencies
Extremely Rare A ~ Very Rare B ~ Rare C ~ Not So Many D ~ Common E


Obverse Reverse Close Up Description

By courtesy of 魏老三先生


By courtesy of 魏老三先生

No. 353
Diam.
30 mm
Fineness.
85%
Wt. 11.8 g.
Rareness B
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
This is a very rare Szechuan Rupee. It is known as 蝴蝶花 Butterfly Rupee by the Chinese collector. Please view the close-up picture, you can find a butterfly inscribed in the floral patterns on the reverse. This coin belongs to the early type of Szechuan Rupee. It is always a pleasure and very exciting to study closely of the variations in detail of a coin design.

Obverse Reverse Close Up Description

By courtesy of Mr. YZM


By courtesy of Mr. YZM



No. 385
Diam.
30.5 mm
Fineness.
85%
Wt. 11.5 g.
Rareness B
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
This is another very rare Szechuan Rupee. It is known as 耳下點或五節辮 "Dot below Ear or 5 portions Queue" by the Chinese collector. The obverse of this coin bears a profile of Emperor Kuang Hsu (This is known as the Type 1 Kuang Hsu profile by the Chinese collectors). Please view the close-up picture, you can find a dot lacated below the ear on the profile, and also his queue is consist of five portions. [Normally, the Type 1 Kuang Hsu profile appears with four portions queue only.]

On the reverse there is a horizontal rosette located in the center. This coin belongs to the early type of Szechuan Rupee.

Obverse Reverse Close Up Description






No. 386
Diam.
30.3 mm
Fineness.
85%
Wt. 11.6 g.
Rareness C
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
On the obverse of this rupee is a Type 2 Emperor Kuang Hsu profile, but on the reverse this rupee has used a Type 3 floral pattern design. You can find the first Chinese character "Szu" shaped with 2 opposit strokes in a slanting position pointed to each other inside the rectange on the reverse. This coin is known as 二三錯配 "The Type 2 mixed wrongly with the Type 3" by the Chinese collector.

On the reverse there is a vertical rosette located in the center. This coin belongs to the early type of Szechuan Rupee.

Obverse Reverse Close Up Description

By courtesy of 魏老三先生


By courtesy of 魏老三先生



No. 387
Diam.
30.5 mm
Fineness.
85%
Wt. 11.5 g.
Rareness B
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
This is a new found edition of the Szechuan rupee variations. It is known as 頂前寶珠 "The Convey Pearl" by the Chinese collector. You can find a convey pearl located in front of the emperor's neck from the close-up picture. The obverse of this coin bears a profile of Emperor Kuang Hsu (This edition of profile belongs to the Type 1 Szechuan rupee coin). The profile appears with a formal design of four portions queue only.

On the reverse there is a horizontal rosette located in the center. This coin belongs to the early type of Szechuan Rupee.










More about Szechuan Rupee I

More about Tibetan Coinage
Yunnan Rupee - The Imitation of Indian Rupee


More about Tibetan Coinage
Tibetan Coinage IV - The Miscellaneous Tangkas


More about Tibetan Coinage
Tibetan Coinage II - The Kong-par Tangka Coins


More about K'ang Ting Rupee
The Red Face Rupee


More about Tibetan Coinage
The Nepalese and Tibetan Coinage in Qing Dynasty


Paper Money issued by Tibetan Regional Government
with Secret Security Text


Some of My Spare Tibetan Coins




    Bibliography

  1. 姜宏業 : 中國地方銀行史, 湖南出版社. 1991 p.1005; p.1041; p.1056 and p.1070
  2. 康柳碩 : 甘肅民族地區的貨幣經濟
  3. 王承志 : 四川藏洋始未
  4. 張策剛 : 康巴貨幣史綱要
  5. 肖懷遠 : 西藏民族地區的貨幣經濟
  6. 康柳鎖 :甘南藏區近代貨幣流通概述 Page 37 of China Numismatics 1990 No.1 CN11-1266
  7. Wang Haiyan :Page 27 of China Numismatics 1990 No.1 CN11-1266
  8. Dong Wenchao : An Overview of China's Gold & Silver Coins of Past Ages - the Gold and Silver coins and Medals of Modern China, p.467-p.470, ISBN: 962-531-0001-0
  9. A History of Chinese Currency (16th Century BC - 20th Century AD), 1983 Jointly Published by Xinhua (New China) Publishing House N.C.N. Limited M.A.O. Management Group Ltd. p.41 ISBN 962 7094 01 3
  10. Pang Hsin Wei : The Currency History of China, 1988. p.799 ISBN7-208-00196-0/K.47
  11. Chester L. Krause and Clifford Mishler Colin R. Bruce II. : Standard catalog of World Coins 1991, 18th edition. p.1709






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