What You Need to Know About Chinese Silver Coins

What You Need to Know About Chinese Silver Coins
When the production of Chinese silver coins first began, silver was considered an extremely valuable resource. As the demand for more currency grew due to global trading and increased commerce, reserves of silver ingots were melted in order to produce more silver coins. In this article, we’ll highlight the various Chinese silver coins minted throughout the country’s history. Additionally, we’ll share with you the monetary units, the metal composition, and some particular features of Chinese silver coins to help you identify them. Without further ado, we’ll begin with the first Chinese silver minted in the late 19th century.

Early Monetary Units The first silver coins that were produced in China were minted from 1890 through 1892. When Japan took over China for three years, these small silver coins were pulled out of circulation and melted down to be used for other purposes.

Later Monetary Units In 1914, “Silver Dollars” or Chinese silver coins were produced by the Nanjing government to serve as currency for the army. Eventually, these coins became the official currency through the 1930s. The first Chinese Silver Yuan was produced in 1949.

Current Monetary Units Even though the silver standard was officially abandoned by China in 1935, Chinese silver coins are still in production today by the Chinese government, but they’re no longer minted for general circulation. Rather, they’re produced for investors and collectors. Chinese silver pandas, China’s official silver bullion coin, were first minted in 1983 and are still in production today. Composition of Chinese Silver Coins When China first started to use silver for the production of coins, factors such as weight and size were considered more important than the metal composition of the coin. That is to say, coins that were larger and heavier in size held more value, regardless of their composition. Over time, as the process of creating coins became more refined, a higher premium was placed on the purity of the silver used in producing the coins.

Features of Chinese Silver Coins While most Chinese silver coins share the same features as other silver coins (round shape, images on the front, year, mint mark, denomination, etc.), there are some coins that have slightly different characteristics. For instance, commemorative coins feature a certain person, animal or event that is receiving special recognition. One example is the 2008 Beijing Olympics commemorative silver coins. The first commemorative Chinese silver coin honored the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912. There are two editions: a silver dollar and a 20 cent piece. The former features Chinese president Sun Yat-Sen, while the latter depicts vice president Li Yuan-Hong.

Chinese silver coins not only have a long and interesting history, but are fun to collect, and are also available through a number of U.S. and foreign silver coin buyers. Take your time to research the various Chinese silver coins in your collection, and utilize some of the information shared in this article to help you to identify the era in which your coins were produced. Lastly, shop around and compare prices so that you receive the best value when the time comes to buy or sell Chinese silver coins. Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers