Drum Sycee Came from a Salt City
in the South-West China

Stephen Tai
May 16, 1998

Inscription:
Two Sides: Yen Yuan Hsien [Yen Yuan County]
Middle: Bao Jen [Name of Silver Shop]
Dimension: 47 (L) x 58 (W) x 30 (H)mm
Weight: 340g (10 taels)

The shown Drum Sycee was made in a famous salt production area named Yen Yuan located in the south-west of Szechuan Province. The words of Yen Yuan, in Mandarin also mean The Origin of Salt, the being of this place is exactly the same as the name means to be.
During the reign of the Republic of China (1912-1948), the administrative regions of the country was restored. A new province Si Kang covering certain territories of western Szechuan, northern Yunnan, and eastern Tibet was established by the government. Yen Yuan was part of the new province, until the government was expelled from the mainland China by the Communists in 1949, it was then recovered as Szechuan’s territory.
The city has been rich in its quality salt made from the salt wells within the region, and because of its location being adjacent to Yunnan and Tibet, Yen Yuan was not only providing its salt to the Szechuan natives, but also became an important supplier of salt for Yunnan and Tibet. Silver sycee had been the major payment called upon by Yen Yuan’s salt business, the shown Drum Sycee could be made for such purpose, which was cast after businessmen having received silver payment from buyers. Besides, we may know from the sycee that Yen Yuan County were using the typical 10-tael Drum sycee as other areas in Szechuan did.

A Silver Sycee Review

Drum Sycee Came from a Salt City in the South-West China

Drum Sycee Came from a Salt City
in the South-West China