Salt Capital Silver

Stephen Tai
Apr.25, 1998

	Inscription: [middle] The 1^st year of Hsuang Tong (1909, 1909-1911), Salt Capital of Guan County (in Szechuan) [Right] Silversmith Yu Cheng Ming [Left] (Salt) Merchant Ho Hsing Gong Dimension: 61(L) x 54(W) mm Weight: 378 g (10 Taels)
	Inscription: [middle] Salt Capital of Hong Prefecture (in Szechuan) [Right] The 2^nd year of Hsuang Tong (1910) [Left] (Salt) Merchant Yi Tai Yuang Dimension: 60(L) x 53(W) mm Weight: 330 g

Salt making had been an inherent occupation, it was mandatory that the descendants of salt makers would have to stick to the same business as their ancestors did.
All salt that salt makers had produced, were monopolized by the government. Salt makers were not allowed to sell their product to anyone other than the official who being in charged of the salt monopoly affairs.
As a general practice by the government, salt makers would be prepaid some payment for the costs and expenses of their salt making, which was called Yen Banž [Salt Capital], as the shown 2 silver exemplified.
The government after monopolized the supplying end for salt, sold the privilege in selling salt to the merchants who was willing to pay royalty. Such royalty had become one of the major incomes for the Ching government.
The shown silver also illustrated that many salt capital were not actually paid by the officials, yet, they directly came from the salt merchants who run for the salt selling business.