100 Greatest Modern World Coins Series: China 1903 Silver Fengtien Tael Pattern

This blog series covering Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Modern World Coins is quite intricate, interesting, and complex. When dealing with coins in general, stories, details, etc. behind production of a single numismatic item can become quite tricky to relay to those seeking that information. When it comes to coins from all over the world, that becomes especially true as fallen empires, economic downturns, war torn countries, and more contribute to a coin’s story.

Authors of the publication, Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, have diligently put together a list based on rarity, innovation, coin sets, oddities, emergency issues, auction data, and market values as coins through this top 100 list have fallen into place accordingly with those categories in mind. Today, we visit the pick situated right behind the top and based on the mintage alone, you will understand based on its complex story.

#2 - China 1903 Silver Fengtien Tael Pattern

The 1903 Fengtien tael silver pattern coin is completely unique mainly in that it is the only one of its kind. The tael is a unit in the traditional Chinese system of weights and was additionally used in other Asian cultures. Instead of monetary denominations as seen now with most coins, coins were issued back then in weights instead.

The characters (Yuánbao) inscribed on the coin refer to Chinese ingots of gold or silver, or sycee. The ingots that the characters refer to were an important form of currency in China during the Ming dynasty and they continued to play a role until the very end of the Qing dynasty in the early 20th century. Fengtien refers to the province that was established in 1907 and was an area where different nations and cultures came together through war and trade.

Made in the Fengtien Machinery Bureau, which is now the Shenyang Mint, it features the well-known Chinese dragon on the obverse. The reverse depicts four large Chinese characters in the center and an inscription along the top half and along the bottom. The date on the reverse is representative of the use of the Chinese “stem-branch” calendar that was used in ancient times.

The collecting difficulty of this pattern coin is pretty much impossible. According to the Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Gold & Silver Coins (2012) by Lin Gwo Ming, the tael pattern is worth around $3 million in an Uncirculated condition.