民国二十一年製孙中山像金本位币光边样币 NGC MS 62

民国二十一年製孙中山像金本位币光边样币。铜製。(珍稀度☆☆☆☆)。 中国在辛亥革命后的数十年中，为建立有效的金融政策及统一货币制度而历经艰辛，这枚未被採纳的金本位币便是那段摸索前行的历史的见证。民国十八年秋，南京政府特聘美国教授甘末尔 (Edwin Kemmerer) 来华，嘱其对当时中国的金融状况作出详细报告并提出政策建议。甘末尔是知名的币制专家，人称"货币博士"，是坚定的金本位制拥护者，于1900年代初担任菲律宾财政顾问时，便将菲律宾币值改革成金本位制。返美后，他于1910至1920年代间在康乃尔大学及普林斯顿大学任教，后又为中南美洲多国政府担当财政顾问。甘氏组织起一个委员会，就南京政府要求，对当时中国的金融状况作出详细报告并提出政策建议，最终的成果报告于次年提交，史称《甘末尔草案》，主张政府逐步发行金本位制货币，货币形制可与已流通的孙像背帆银币相近，惟其币值定为"孙"，如一孙、半孙等。接著，南京政府便订购了新国币的模具和样币，而报告内容于民国二十年才公开发表。币值为"孙"的新币模具由上海中央造币厂的美籍总技师赫维特 (Clifford Hewitt) 设计，委请美国费城造币厂总雕刻师辛诺克 (John Sinnock) 製作，背面图案里，空中的三鸟移到了水面下方的位置。这一设计变化或与1933年将三鸟图案删除的设计在时间上相差无几，可参见Kann的说法："日出图案或与日本国徽混淆，而鸟图则形似日本轰炸机。"面值方面，"金本位制一圆"取代了较短的"一圆"。其他的"孙"币设计图案大抵相同，仅面值有所更改。新国币模具由美国宾夕法尼亚州铸币厰製造，模具完成后又铸少许样币，一同运至上海。在大部分参考资料中，此枚都归类为造币厰戏铸币 (Mint Sport) （原意为正反错配），正面为1929年款孙像，背面为上文所述的改版帆船三鸟。旷世罕品，原光留存，少有磨损。正因"金本位币"项目从未付诸实施，此币制下的样币一直是藏家梦寐以求的珍宝。NGC MS-62 BN.CHINA. Gold Standard Pattern Dollar with Plain Edge, Dated Year 18, Struck in 1932. NGC MS-62 BN.L&M-928; K-Plate 224; Y-unlisted; WS-unlisted; Wenchao-pg. 728 #1158 (rarity four stars); Shanghai Museum-Mr. Shi Jiagans Collection-pg. 131 #607 & 608; Sun-III-5-11 (plate coin). Struck in bronze. The unadopted Gold Standard Dollar gives testament to Chinas struggles to find a workable financial policy in the decades following the 1911 Revolution and the ensuing travails during the drive towards full unification. In an effort to find this elusive solution the Nanking Government invited foreign economists to give a detailed report on the state of Chinese finances and offer recommendations on policy change and fiscal structure. This overview was known as the Kemmerer Report and advocated the gradual introduction of coins issued on the gold standard with the design similar to the already circulating Sun Yat-sen "Junk" Dollars with the monetary unit and its fractions known as "1 Sun, 1/2 Sun, etc.". The commission brought in by the Nanking Government was headed by world renowned "Money Doctor" Professor Edwin Kemmerer. In the early 1900s Kemmerer had been appointed as the Financial Advisor to the United States Philippine Commission and as an outspoken advocate and ardent defender of the gold standard he developed the plan which placed the Philippine monetary system under it. Throughout the 1910s and 20s Kemmerer worked alternately as professor at Cornell and Princeton and as an economic advisor to several countries, predominantly in Central and South America. Eventually he became the leader of advisory commissions which allowed for much more in depth analysis and recommendation, as was done in the case of the Kemmerer Commission which was summoned to China in the autumn of 1929 and did not deliver its final report until late autumn of 1930. This report was not released to the public until May of the following year, after which the order for dies and trials were placed (with the intention of dating them to 1929). The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia was contracted to produce the dies for the proposed "Sun" units which maintained the overall appearance of the concurrent "Birds over Junk" Dollars with modifications to the reverse design. Prepared by the then Chief Engraver John Sinnock the modified design has moved the three geese from soaring over the junk to skimming along the water just below it. This modification may coincide with the removal of the geese altogether from the design of the regular Dollars of 1933 as according to Kann, "Because the rising sun might have been confounded with the national emblem of Japan, and the wild geese likened to oncoming Japanese warplanes". Additionally a legend was added stating, "Gold Standard Currency One Dollar" in place of the simple denomination, "One Yuan". The subsequent fractional "Suns" share these design elements with of course the appropriate changes to the denominations. Once the dies were prepared a small trial run of pieces were struck and along with the dies were shipped to Shanghai where famed mechanical engineer Clifford Hewitt had established a new modern mint, having been under contract by the Chinese government since 1920 following the opening of the Manila Mint which he helped set up. This piece is identified by most references as a "Mint Sport" with the obverse design of the 1929 Sun Yat-sen pattern pieces and the reverse of the aforementioned "Gold Standard" Junk design. Still maintaining luster in the protected areas and showing few signs of handling, this piece is a wondrous rarity of type and condition. Though the gold standard project never came to fruition this mint sport and the few pieces which exist have been coveted numismatic rarities practically since they were struck.