Moneta's Temple and Gallery

Tai Ping Silver Tael or Amulet - China

Moneta — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 15:48:34 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: This is a hand-engraved Tai Ping silver amulet, or charm, made sometime after 1864. Obverse characters are 'Tian Guo' [ 天国 - vertical] while the two reverse characters are 'Sheng Bao' [聖宝 - horizontal w/ abbreviated 'Bao']. These scarce amulets, with a manufacturing technique similar to the official 1/2 & 1/4 Tael pieces of the TaiPings, may have been made by the same Tai Ping engravers that had been employed by the Tai Ping. Bruce Smith speculated that these men went to Fukien after the rebellion and continued their skills there making amulets (Daniel K.E. Ching sale, 1991 Lot # 575). Check out my similar piece at: /showphoto.php?photo=213&title=tai-ping-charm&cat=634 I've finally found two references with this EXACT type piece shown in a B/W photos. The photo for both references appears to be the same. The first reference is the bible for Tai'Ping coins both real, presentation and fake. This coin appears in Ma & Ma's "Encyclopedia of Qing Dynasty Tai'Ping Rebellion Coins" [ by Ma Dingxiang, 1994; Shanghai People's Publication House; page 105, Ref # T225]. Here the weight is given as 5.64 g and .95 mm thick, the diameter is ~28 mm. For those fortunate enough to have the book by Dong Wenchao entitled "An Overview of China's Gold & Silver Coins of Past Ages - the Gold and Silver Coins and Medals of Modern China" [pub. by China Finance Publishing House and Economic Information & Agency]: this coin type appears in the section on Silver Coins Minted by ...The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. On page 805, Plate # 1404 this exact style of hand engraved piece is shown, characters & arrangement, field stippling, edge, and hole shape are the same. The plate photo is ~28 mm and the rarity is given as 4 stars, or extremely rare, unfortunately the weight or other details is not stated in Wenchao. This piece is also ~28 mm and weighs 5.46 g., the thickness is a scrape under 1 mm. A mention of hand engraved coins by the Small Sword Society [PL21-4] is made by Helen Wang in her excellent work entitled "Chinese Secret Society Coins" - you can VIEW and DOWNLOAD at this: /library/Chinese%20Secret%20Society%20Coins%20&%20Tokens%20-%20Wang.pdf Numista has an entry and photo at this: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces318116.html There is some reason to speculate that these Tai Ping silver presentation pieces were made while their forces occupied Ningbo in 1861. Since 1842, when Ningbo was declared one of five Chinese cities set up to trade with the West, there would have been a collection of artisans available in this ancient and prosperous city. With the western trade came an influx of silver, the likes of which had never been available in China before. In 1861, the forces of the Taiping Kingdom took the city relatively unopposed as the defending garrison and all Ningbo residents fled except for the Jews and Persians; they held the town for six months. Traditionally, the Chinese were masters at casting bronze with no prominent tradition of engraving silver. So several factors come together possibly to explain the manufacture of this type of hand engraved silver presentation coin. 1) the Tai Ping occupation, 2) access to foreign traders, 3) access to plentiful silver, 4) availability of artisans, especially those familiar stone seal engraving.

Tai Ping Dragon Charm

Moneta — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 13:51:45 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Chinese charm of the late Qing period. I have several TaiPing or Secret Society charms here. The philosophy of these secret societies is complex and based on nationalism and religious practice. This is another piece that is expertly engraved and punched. Tai Ping Chin Hua (?) (R,L,T,B) loosely translated it means "Great Peace on Earth" as a declaration rather than a wish. I believe it might be Tai Ping related. Brass, 36mm & 17.34 g.

Tai Ping Republic Charm

Moneta — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:30:48 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Silver charm of the 20th C. Republic era - the movement continues! Tai Ping principles and beliefs were claimed by both the Communists and the Kuomintang as the source of their movements! The reverse side of the hand engraved charm depicts the 1st flag of the Republic (1911-1927) and the flag of the Kuomintang party (1924). 28 mm; 4.1 gm. THE TWO Most Worthy Articles on the coins of the Tai P'ing Rebellion: Money of Kingdom of Heavenly Peace - Sandrock: http://snk.to/f-c7jqrl03 Chinese Secret Society Coins & Tokens - Wang: http://snk.to/f-c7pmenmh

Tai Ping Charm

Moneta — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:20:29 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Silver with a surviving thin plating of gold. This lovely charm is HAND ENGRAVED (pixelated background, delicate & expertly done), just like the very rare presentation pieces seen in Ma & Ma (Tai Ping Coinage). A thought to ponder is why the similarity to the very rare Tai Ping presentation piece when hardly anyone would ever have seen one in those days? The Chinese dealer I obtained this from says it's early 20th C. However, Daniel K.E.Ching states in his famous catalog of 06/1991(Scott Semans), that soon after the fall of the Tai Ping Rebellion the rare skills of the engravers who had hand made special Tai Ping Presentation pieces were at work in Fukien making silver amulets. I actually believe this is one of those rare pieces, the style of the engraving is exctly the same! OB:"Tai Ping Tung pao"; RX: "Cao-sheng Kuei-tzu ("have children early after marriage"). 24mm; 2 gm. THE TWO Most Worthy Articles on the coins of the Tai P'ing Rebellion: Money of Kingdom of Heavenly Peace - Sandrock: http://snk.to/f-c7jqrl03 Chinese Secret Society Coins & Tokens - Wang: http://snk.to/f-c7pmenmh

Tai Ping Charm

Moneta — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:07:41 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Chinese charm of the T'ai P'ing variety, 19th Century. Silver, probably fairly low grade. OB: 'Tai Ping Tong Pao'; RX: Chang-ming Fu-kuei. This is supposed to be from the Shanghai-Kiangsu area. 38 mm; 6.1 gm. THE TWO Most Worthy Articles on the coins of the Tai P'ing Rebellion: Money of Kingdom of Heavenly Peace - Sandrock: http://snk.to/f-c7jqrl03 Chinese Secret Society Coins & Tokens - Wang: http://snk.to/f-c7pmenmh