Premium Recommendation -Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin

*本次藏品：孙中山开国纪念币*

典藏尺寸：重：26.7g直径：38.7mm

1911 年辛亥革命的炮火，不仅轰塌了延续两千余年的封建帝制，也击碎了清王朝 “龙纹货币” 的垄断体系。1912 年 1 月 1 日，孙中山就任中华民国临时大总统，面对 “各省币制混乱、前清龙洋仍流通” 的局面，临时政府财政总长陈锦涛于 3 月 11 日呈文建议 “鼓铸 1000 万元纪念银币，以新货币宣示共和”，获孙中山批准 —— 这便是 “孙中山开国纪念币” 的缘起。

不同于传统货币的 “皇家符号”，此币首次以 “国家领袖肖像” 取代龙纹，是中国货币史上从 “皇权货币” 转向 “共和货币” 的标志性载体。其最初由南京造币厂于 1912 年 4 月开铸，后因袁世凯窃取政权停铸；1927 年国民政府定都南京后，南京、天津等造币厂重启铸造，至 1949 年累计铸量约 1.6 亿枚，成为民国流通最广的银元之一，民间俗称 “孙小头”。

正面

孙中山侧面像：采用 “左向半身侧像”，发丝纹理清晰，领口为民国新式立领 —— 这一形象既区别于清帝的 “朝服像”，也以 “平民化装扮” 呼应 “主权在民” 的理念。

“中华民国” 与 “开国纪念币”：以隶书镌刻，字体舒展大气；其中 “民” 字最后一笔刻意拉长，时人解读为 “人民出头”，象征推翻帝制后民众的政治觉醒。

长枝梅花纹：左右各一支五瓣梅花，对应孙中山 “五权宪法”（立法、司法、行政、弹劾、考试）的政治构想，后梅花也成为民国拟议国花。

背面

“壹圆” 与嘉禾纹：中央隶书 “壹圆”，两侧环绕稻穗、麦穗组成的嘉禾 —— 这是遵循孙中山 “新币绘五谷，取丰岁足民” 的指令，既体现 “劝农务本” 的传统，也暗含 “民生主义” 的追求；每支嘉禾有 “一穗三叶”，对应 “三民主义”（民族、民权、民生）。

英文与六角星：边缘环刻 “MEMENTO BIRTH OF REPUBLIC OF CHINA”（中华民国开国纪念）及 “ONE DOLLAR”（壹圆），是民国 “开放与国际接轨” 的象征；左右的六角星，是 1927 年后取代 “五角星” 的版别标识。

上六星版孙中山开国纪念币是较为常见的版式之一。其正面中央为孙中山先生正面或侧面肖像，上环为“中华民国”四字，下环为“开国纪念币”五字。背面中央为“壹圆”面值，周围装饰有嘉禾图案，寓意五谷丰登。在嘉禾图案的上方，有六角星图案，左右各三，此为“上六星”的由来。该版纪念币的字体规整，笔画刚劲有力，孙中山先生的肖像刻画细腻，神态栩栩如生。

The gunfire of the 1911 Revolution not only toppled the feudal monarchy that had endured for over two thousand years but also shattered the Qing Dynasty’s monopolistic system of dragon-patterned currency. On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen assumed office as the Provisional President of the Republic of China. Confronted with the chaotic situation where "currency systems varied across provinces and Qing dragon silver dollars still circulated", Chen Jintao, the Minister of Finance of the Provisional Government, submitted a memorial on March 11 proposing to "mint 10 million yuan worth of commemorative silver coins to proclaim the republic with new currency", which was approved by Sun Yat-sen. This marked the origin of the Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin.

Unlike traditional currencies adorned with imperial symbols, this coin replaced the dragon pattern with a national leader’s portrait for the first time in Chinese monetary history, making it a landmark symbol of the shift from imperial currency to republican currency. Initially minted by the Nanjing Mint in April 1912, production was halted after Yuan Shikai seized power. When the Nationalist Government established Nanjing as its capital in 1927, mints in Nanjing, Tianjin and other cities resumed production. By 1949, the cumulative mintage reached approximately 160 million pieces, cementing its status as one of the most widely circulated silver dollars during the Republican period. It was colloquially known as the "Sun Xiaotou" (literally "Little Head Sun").

Obverse

Profile Portrait of Sun Yat-senThe coin features a left-facing bust portrait of Sun Yat-sen, with distinct hair texture and a modern stand-up collar typical of the Republican era. This depiction not only differentiates itself from the imperial court attire portraits of Qing emperors but also echoes the concept of "popular sovereignty" through its civilian-style presentation.

Inscriptions: "Republic of China" and "Founding Commemorative Coin"The characters are engraved in the official clerical script, boasting a graceful and imposing font style. Notably, the final stroke of the character "Min" (meaning people) is intentionally elongated, which was interpreted by contemporaries as a symbol of "the people rising up", representing the political awakening of the public after the overthrow of the monarchy.

Long-branch Plum Blossom MotifsTwo five-petaled plum blossom branches flank the portrait, corresponding to Sun Yat-sen’s political vision of the Five-Power Constitution (legislative, judicial, executive, censorial, and examination powers). Later, the plum blossom was proposed as the national flower of the Republic of China.

Reverse

Denomination "One Yuan" and Jiahe Grain MotifsThe central inscription "One Yuan" is written in clerical script, surrounded by Jiahe motifs composed of rice and wheat ears. This design followed Sun Yat-sen’s instruction to "depict grains on the new currency, symbolizing bumper harvests and prosperous people". It not only embodies the traditional principle of "encouraging agriculture as the foundation of the nation" but also implies the pursuit of the Principle of Livelihood. Each Jiahe branch bears one ear with three leaves, corresponding to the Three Principles of the People (nationalism, democracy, and livelihood).

English Inscriptions and Hexagonal StarsThe edge is inscribed with the English words "MEMENTO BIRTH OF REPUBLIC OF CHINA" and "ONE DOLLAR", symbolizing the Republic of China’s aspiration for openness and international integration. The hexagonal stars on either side serve as a version identifier, replacing the original five-pointed stars after 1927.

The Six-pointed Star Above Version of the Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin is one of the most common variants. On its obverse center is a front-facing or profile portrait of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, with the four characters "Republic of China" inscribed along the upper rim and the five characters "Founding Commemorative Coin" along the lower rim. The reverse center displays the denomination "One Yuan", encircled by Jiahe patterns that symbolize abundant grain harvests. Above the Jiahe patterns are six hexagonal stars (three on each side), which gives this version its name. This edition is characterized by neat, forceful calligraphy and an exquisitely detailed, lifelike portrait of Sun Yat-sen.

*本次藏品：孙中山开国纪念币*

典藏尺寸：重：3.3g直径：25.5mm

这枚币的价值，早已超越 “流通工具” 的范畴：

政治符号：它是中国首次以 “国家元首肖像” 为货币主图的尝试，宣告 “皇权货币时代” 的终结，是共和制度的物质化象征。

经济纽带：作为民国主流银元之一，它与 “袁大头” 共同支撑了民国前期的货币体系，见证了近代中国的金融变迁。

文化载体：币面的 “五权宪法”“三民主义”“民生嘉禾”，是孙中山思想的视觉化表达，也是民国文化的缩影。

孙中山开国纪念币的模具制作是一项极为精细的工作。首先，设计师需要根据设计要求绘制出精确的图案草图，然后通过雕刻师在钢模上进行手工雕刻。雕刻过程中，需要高度精准地把握孙中山先生的面部特征、字体形态以及嘉禾等装饰图案的细节。每一个线条、每一个弧度都要求精准无误，以确保铸造出来的纪念币图案清晰、立体感强。模具制作完成后，还需要经过严格的审核和修正，确保符合设计标准。

在压制环节，选用优质的银料作为原材料。银料经过熔炼、轧制等工序，制成符合厚度和规格的银片。然后将银片放入压制机中，在高压的作用下，银片与模具充分接触，使模具上的图案转移到银片上。压制过程中，压力、温度等参数都需要精确控制，以保证纪念币的成型质量。压制完成的纪念币还需要经过打磨、抛光等后续处理，使其表面更加光滑、亮丽，呈现出精美的视觉效果。

孙中山开国纪念币是中国近代货币史上的重要里程碑，它见证了中华民国的诞生这一重大历史事件。通过这枚纪念币，我们可以直观地感受到当时社会的变革与转型，了解民国初期货币文化的发展脉络。它承载着那个时代人们对民主共和的向往和追求，具有极高的历史研究价值。

孙中山开国纪念币作为中国货币史上的经典之作，具有不可替代的历史意义和极高的收藏价值。它从诞生之初就与中华民国的历史紧密相连，见证了时代的变革与发展。其多样的版式、精湛的铸造工艺以及在收藏市场中的独特表现，都使其成为收藏界和历史研究领域的珍贵对象。

The value of this coin has long transcended the category of a circulation medium:

A Political SymbolIt was China’s first attempt to feature a national leader’s portrait as the main design of a currency, announcing the end of the "imperial currency era" and serving as a material symbol of the republican system.

An Economic LinkAs one of the dominant silver dollars of the Republican period, it, together with the "Yuan Datou" silver dollars, underpinned the monetary system of early Republican China and witnessed the financial changes of modern China.

A Cultural CarrierThe Five-Power Constitution, Three Principles of the People, and the grain motifs symbolizing people’s livelihood depicted on the coin are visual expressions of Sun Yat-sen’s ideology and epitomize the culture of the Republic of China.

The die-making process of the Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin was an extremely sophisticated task. First, designers were required to draw precise design sketches in accordance with the specifications. Then, engravers meticulously carved the designs onto steel dies by hand. During the engraving process, it was essential to capture the subtlest details of Sun Yat-sen’s facial features, the form of the characters, and decorative elements such as the grain motifs with supreme accuracy. Every line and every curve demanded absolute precision to ensure that the minted coins would bear clear, highly three-dimensional patterns. After the dies were completed, they had to undergo rigorous inspection and revision to meet the design standards.

In the minting stage, high-quality silver was selected as the raw material. The silver was smelted and rolled into silver blanks of the required thickness and specifications. These blanks were then fed into coin presses, where immense pressure forced the blanks to conform fully to the dies, transferring the engraved patterns onto the silver. Parameters such as pressure and temperature during minting required precise control to guarantee the molding quality of the commemorative coins. Once minted, the coins underwent subsequent processes such as polishing and buffing to achieve a smooth, lustrous surface and a refined visual finish.

The Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin stands as a crucial milestone in the history of modern Chinese currency. It bears witness to the founding of the Republic of China—a pivotal historical event. Through this coin, we can directly perceive the social transformation and transition of the era, and trace the evolution of monetary culture in early Republican China. Embodied with the aspirations and pursuit of democracy and republicanism cherished by the people of that time, it holds immense value for historical research.

As a classic masterpiece in Chinese numismatic history, the Sun Yat-sen Founding Commemorative Coin boasts irreplaceable historical significance and extraordinary collection value. From its very inception, it has been closely intertwined with the history of the Republic of China, witnessing the transformations and developments of the era. Its diverse editions, exquisite minting craftsmanship, and unique performance in the collectibles market have collectively established its status as a prized treasure among collectors and historical researchers alike.

*本次藏品：孙中山开国纪念币*

典藏尺寸：重：3.3g直径：25.5mm

以上藏品相关信息请与：四川尚亿拍卖有限公司联系。 

For information about the above collections, please contact: Sichuan Jun Zailai Auction Group Co.