A presentation piece featuring the portrait of a leader that rose through the ranks is the center of attention in our blog series covering Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Modern World Coins. Authors Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker will take us through this leader’s journey and the rare gold coin he appears on today with this top 50 pick.
#41 – China 1914 Gold Dollar
The late 19th century and early 20th century would see a shift in China as Yuan Shikai, a turbulent figure and leader, would ride the wave of change along with it. As a military figure during the First Sino-Japanese War, he was appointed the role of commander of the first New Army where he was to modernize the military in China. Yuan would find himself aligning with Empress Dowager Cixi and the conservatives in the Qing dynasty where he would be made governor of Shandong. In this position, he would take ruthless action against the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) to quash the uprising in his province.
Yuan continued to rise through the ranks of the Chinese government until the death of Empress Dowager and the Guangxu Emperor in 1908. He was exiled, but the Chinese military was fully behind him. He had turned himself into a prized asset, sparking interest of both the Qing dynasty and the rebellion, which broke out in Wuchang in 1911. Yuan would eventually end up fighting in a campaign for the Qing dynasty that would allow him the authority to negotiate peace with the revolutionaries at his own convenience. This tactic led to the abdication of Emperor Pu Yi (who was four years old) and Yuan becoming president of the Republic of China in February of 1912, replacing the provisional president, Sun Yat-sen.
The first months of his presidency would focus on opposing efforts to make the government independent. Yuan and his allies continued their power-hungry ways, sparking a second revolution led by Sun Yat-sen with assistance from Japan. Yuan and his military power, however, would defeat the rebellion and ultimately sever Parliament in early 1914.
Now in charge of the government, Yuan continued to strengthen his power. One way he chose to do this was by creating a national coinage, leading to the creation of the Yuan Shikai silver dollar. It would feature his portrait on the obverse with the denomination on the reverse. This silver dollar became the design used to strike a gold dollar as a presentation piece, which is the rarity we are recognizing in this Whitman top 100. The mintage remains technically unknown, although there are at least six known examples.