Inscription: yearmonth of Hsuang Tung (1909-1911)
Kuei Hua City, Silversmith Song Yao Sum Bao* Dimension: 103(L) x 62(W) x 71(H)mm Weight: 1900g (50 taels)
Note: * Bao: An initial for Ju Bao Yin, a silver ingot with its purity up
to certain standard, was allowed to be circulated in Kuei Hua City.
Kuei Hua City, in Ching Dynasty, with its neighboring territory had been
a part of Shansi Province. During the reign of the Republic of China, i.e.
1912- 1949, it was belonged to and appointed as the capital city of, a
newly established province - Kuei Yuan, which was dissolved soon after the
establishment of the communist government in 1949. According to the new
partition for this city by the new government, it was retrieved from being
attached to any other province, and allocated into Chinese Mongolian
territory - Inner Mongolia. Currently, this city has its Mongolian name
Huh-ho-to (transliteration) and is the capital city of Inner-Mongolia.
Kuei Hua City, a place located at the edge of the great Mongolian
Plateau, since long time ago, had been one of the major trade cities for
both Han and Mongolian peoples. In Ching Dynasty Mongolian peoples brought
horses, furs, live stocks to the city, traded with Han people, for cloth,
salt, tea, and other daily needs. The commercial activities there were very
high. More than a dozen of Shansi Bank had set up their branches in this
city for the booming business opportunities.
Since early years of Ching Dynasty, the government had built up an
in-land custom in this city, for the tax levy mostly on the above Han -
Mongolian trades.
The Shown sycee is a 50-tael tax silver from the city in late
Ching period.
