Hunan. Funan Official Bureau Liangmianbing ("Two-Faced Cake") Tael (Mace or 7 Chi'en) ND (1906) AU55 PCGS, Funan mint, Kann-942, L&M-386, Hsu-208, WS-0907, Cribb-LXXXIII.A.1086. Obverse stamped in three columns, reading from right to left: "Hu Nan Fu Nan Guan Ju" (Hunan Provincial Funan Official Bureau); reverse stamped in three columns, reading from right to left: "Sheng Ping Zu Wen Yi Liang" (Provincial Weight Standard, pure fine silver, one ounce). A classically challenging type to locate in any sort of meaningful condition, owing to the fact that such pieces were highly demanded in commerce, leading most to accumulate extensive circulation wear. This was primarily due to the fact that, like its neighbors, Hunan had suffered from an overabundance of copper coins, as well as a dearth of Imperial silver Dollars from the capital mint at Changsa, with the consequence that merchants were allowed to send silver to the mint to be struck into circulating cakes around 1906. Not often found with good centering, and frequently prone to splits in the edge due to the issues of striking such a thick flan, this piece shows an ideal strike for the grade, the planchet essentially perfectly round and cleanly executed.

HID09801242017

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