Triple-Stamp Silver Ingots of Yunnan

Stephen Tai
Feb.20, 1998

Inscriptions: Yuong Mao Bank
Dimension: 38 x 55 mm
Weight: 180g (5 taels)
Inscriptions: Yu Chang Bank, Submitted Tax Silver
Dimension: 44 x 50 mm
Weight: 105g (3 taels)
Inscriptions: Der Bao Bank Silver in 98% of Purity
Dimension: 29 x 47 mm
Weight: 89g (2.5 taels)
Inscriptions: Black Salt Well District, Silversmith Huang Su
Dimension: 42 x 52 mm
Weight: 150g (4 taels)
Inscriptions: Hen Tai Zen Bank, Salt Tax Silver in the Fullest Purity
Dimension: 32 x 55 mm
Weight: 142g (4 taels)
Inscriptions: Guang Jui Tax Silver
Dimension: 32 x 58 mm
Weight: 178g (5 taels)

Triple-Stamp silver ingots, as well as other square or rectangular base silver ingots, e.g. the Single-Stamp and the Double-Stamp, had circulated in Yunnan since very early period of Ching Dynasty. In the 10^th year of Kuang Hsu (1884, 1875-1908), a branch of the Triple-Stamp Saddle Sycee (Pai Fang Ding or Gateway Sycee), were even dominated the local silver currency market (#3).
The Triple-Stamp had been adopted by the local banks (#1, #2, #3) and the governments (#4, #5, #6) in Yunnan no later than Jia Ching period (1796-1820), but, their purity and weight, over all, were not standardized. The weights may be ranging from more than 6 taels (240g) to about 2.5 taels (90g) and the purity had to be severally certified by then. In some cases, silverware inscribed the figures of purity on top of sycee, trying to save for customers any additional certification (#3).
The Triple-Stamp had been cast without a break, before and after the time when Saddle sycee were created in 1884. Certain Triple-Stamp silver ingots are looked like Saddle sycee, or even sharing the same feature with Saddle sycee, still, however, can not be deemed as Saddle sycee.
People in Yunnan also called Saddle sycee as Gong Gu Yin, which means the 'Assayed Silver', and they trusted Saddle sycee, mainly because that the assaying system made them feel secured. Provided that a Triple Stamp silver ingot which is in same feature, weight and purity standard, even inscriptions with Saddle sycee, but, lacks of being assayed and chopped, it would not be entitled to the name of Saddle sycee.
Certain official tax silver in triple stamps are quite similar to Saddle sycee (#4, #5, #6), but were not assayed. These unassayed tax silver were still trustful to the governments and the people, for they were complying with another auditing system set forth by the Central Government, which was very sever. If a silverware or silversmith who cast tax silver being caught decreasing purity, no matter by intention or negligence, would be fined and punished by the government.

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