O-Yu-Wan Soviet Base - Museum Gallery

Normally seen as Hupeh-Honan-Anhwei Soviet, here is a bit of history about this important Communist Guerilla Base: O, or (Ngo) Yu & Wan are the respective literary names of Hupeh, Honan, Anhwei. This commusint base, located between the borders of those 3 provinces, had been created between 1927 and 1929 by the consolidation of several smaller soviets. It was contemporary with the Chinese Soviet Republic. The army protecting the base was the original Fourth Red Army. In August 1932, under pressure from Chiang Kai-shek's Fourth Annihilation Campaign, the O-Yu-Wan base was abandoned. It's inhabitants began a smaller version of the Long March, and in Nov. 1931 reached northern Szechuan, where they established a new soviet base - the Szechuan-Shensi Soviet. They went on to coin the vast majority of Soviet issues.

L&M-887; K-802; Y-503; WS-1335; Bulletin of the Numismatic Society of China-Vol.XXVI. No 3. March 1937, pg. 119-124, pl.1#4. Minted in 1932, issued for the State Bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic for areas around the Central Revolutionary Base. To our knowledge, this type was first described by Duncan Raeburn in the Bulletin of The Numismatic Society of China in 1937. The obverse depicts the classic hammer and sickle atop a globe with Chinese legend around reading, "ALL THE PROLETARIANS WORLDWIDE UNITE!" The central reverse displays "One Yuan" or "One Dollar" with Chinese legend above displaying the date of 1932. It is interesting to note the date is arranged in a western manner as 1932 which deviates from the traditional Chinese method of dating coins. The lower legend on the reverse is arranged in a "Pseudo Russian" script of somewhat debased Cyrillic, transcribed as "Soviet Chinese Republic". Of the utmost rarity and importance as this ranks among the earlier of the Soviet issues, believed by many to have been struck for use in the Hupeh-Honan-Anhwei revolutionary base area. The only bilingual coin of the Soviet series, it is considered one of the key pieces in assembling a collection of Soviet Dollars. Some scratches present, toned and in surprisingly nice condition considering the crude manufacturing normally seen with this type.

The Shanghai Museum says that this coin was issued by the State Bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic. The obverse (on the Right in the photo) bears the face value of one Yuan in the center with the upper circumscription meaning "minted in 1932." The lower portion is in crude Russian, best translation so far is "Chinese Soviet Republic." The reverse has the hammer & sickle motif and "All the proletarians worldwide, unite!" There are two varieties based upon the style of one of the Chinese characters. RARE! Wenchao 1077/78; Kann 802.

珍稀俄文版中華蘇維埃壹圓
中華蘇維埃一九三二年造壹圓。鄂豫皖省蘇區銀幣。
1932年中華蘇維埃共和國國家銀行於中央革命根據地製作發行。據我們了解最早是雷本(Duncan Raeburn)發表於1937年3月份《中國雜誌》。正面是典型的鐮刀鐵槌在地球之上，外圈為"全世界無產階級聯合起來呵"中文字環繞。背面中間"壹圓"兩字，上端"一九三二年造"，有趣的是與傳統的中國錢幣不同而採用西元的紀年。底部是仿俄語卻有些不純正的西里爾文字體，意思是"中華蘇維埃共和國"。非常稀見，由於是蘇區早期發行的貨幣故十分重要，許多人相信是在鄂豫皖革命根據地流通。蘇區銀元系列中唯一的雙語幣，收藏蘇區銀元的關鍵性項目之一。磨損輕微，原味包漿。原製作工藝粗略，故此枚應屬於狀態良好之列。

Here are a number of RARE articles on Communist Chinese Soviet coins & notes from the Moneta Library:
VIEW & DOWNLOAD:
Soviet Chinese Copper Coins ("Little Brown Book") - Hua Guangpu
[ link ]
Soviet Coins Intriguing - Hogan
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Chinese Soviet Coins and Notes - Raeburn (1937!)
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Chinese Communist Armies Silver Coins - Kann
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The premier articles on Early Chinese Soviet issues are the invaluable documents below. It covers the history, coins and notes from 1927-1935 and includes photos and a map: (with color photos; in 3 parts);
The Money of Communist China - Sandrock (3 part series)
Part I: [ link ]
Part II: [ link ]
Part III: [ link ]

The Comprehensive Catalog of Chinese Copper Coins ("SOVIET" extract; color illus.) - Duan
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