“THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COINS MINTED BY CHINESE EMPERORS IN THE 19TH CENTURY”
Abstract
The historical, financial, and cultural significance of coins produced by Chinese emperors in the 1800s is examined in this article. The production and circulation of coins became a crucial indicator of the empire's economic health, imperial authority, and cultural identity as a result of the significant internal and external challenges that China faced during this time, such as the Opium Wars, the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and the emergence of regional powers. This study illustrates how coins functioned as both tools of trade and taxation as well as markers of political legitimacy and continuity by examining a variety of minting procedures, such as the introduction of Western-inspired coinage and the continued use of traditional Chinese coin types. The article also examines how economic changes and foreign influence contributed to traditional Chinese coinage's eventual fall in favor of contemporary money systems. This study highlights the intricate function of imperial coins as both material representations of historical shift and timeless reminders of China's heritage through the prism of numismatics.
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