EMPIRE OF CHINA - QING (CH'ING) OR MANCHU DYNASTY (1644-1912)
HENAN (HONAN) PROVINCE
GENUINE "WAIST" OR "WAISTED" SYCEE MONEY (YAODING)
SILVER FIVE TAELS BAR - INGOT
THE FIRST SYCEE (COMING FROM THE CHINESE WORD FOR “FINE SILVER”) INGOTS ARE DATED BY SOME SCHOLARS TO THE MONGOL (YUAN) DYNASTY (1279-1368 C.E.) OR EARLIER. THEY WERE MADE BY PRIVATE FIRMS AND USED TO FACILITATE THE STORAGE OF SILVER BY THE WEALTHY. OFFICIAL ASSSAYERS WOULD OFTEN STAMP THE INGOTS TO VERIFY THEIR QUALITY.
DURING THE 19th AND 20th CENTURIES, EUROPEAN TRADE WITH CHINA REVITALIZED TRADE IN SYCEE, BUT SUCH TRADE WAS EVENTUALLY BANNED BY THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT.
THE CHARACTERISTIC SHAPES WERE PECULIAR TO REGION AND DEPENDED ON THE MOLD, STAMPING AND CUTTING OF THE INGOT AND CAME IN STANDARDIZED WEIGHTS MEASURED IN TAELS.
CHARACTERIZED BY THE FIGURE EIGHT SHAPE OF THE FACE AND THE VICTORIAN BATHTUB SHAPE OF ITS BODY, THIS "WAIST" TYPE (YAODING) SYCEE HAS A SINGLE STAMP WITH CHINESE CHARACTERS ON THE FACE REPRESENTING THE NAME OF THE SILVERSMITH WHO CREATED IT.
THIS TYPE IS FROM HENAN PROVINCE AND WAS IN PRODUCTION FROM AROUND 1900 TO 1910.
CONTAINS 180.5 GRAMS OF .960+ FINE SILVER (5.5701 OZS ASW)
41 MM LONG x 32 MM (29 MM AT WAIST) IN WIDTH
