Shansi Arsenal 1 Fen

The pictured coin is a Chinese 1 Fen in copper, produced by the Shansi (Shanxi) Arsenal and dated to Republic Year 17 (1928). It is a small provincial circulation piece distinguished by a central hole, a feature that harks back to China's long tradition of holed cash coins while being struck by modern machinery rather than cast.

The obverse carries Chinese inscriptions arranged around the hole together with the numeral 1, marking the one-fen value. The reverse shows an ornamental design framing the same central hole. As a minor denomination, the fen was a fractional unit used for everyday small transactions within the province.

This issue is collected as a piece of Republican-era Chinese provincial coinage. It reflects the decentralized minting of the period, when regional arsenals and provincial authorities struck their own small change alongside the national currency.

During the early Republic, China's coinage was highly decentralized, with provinces and regional powers issuing their own copper and silver money. Shanxi Province, under the long control of the regional militarist Yan Xishan, operated its own mint and arsenal at Taiyuan, which produced coinage and munitions for the province. The Shansi Arsenal issues of the late 1920s belong to this pattern of provincial self-sufficiency.

The Republic Year 17 (1928) date places the coin in a turbulent period, amid the shifting alliances and conflicts among regional powers and the Nationalist government. Small holed copper denominations like this 1 Fen were intended to supply low-value circulating change for the provincial economy, where older cash coins and a mix of copper pieces still changed hands.

The central hole and modest fabric tie the coin to the transition from traditional cast cash to machine-struck coinage. Provincial arsenal issues of this era are studied today as tangible evidence of China's fragmented monetary landscape before greater centralization in the following decade.

Identify the coin by its combination of small size, copper metal, and a central hole. Around the hole on the obverse you will find Chinese inscriptions together with the numeral 1, indicating the one-fen denomination; the reverse bears an ornamental design surrounding the same hole.

The legends and date are written in Chinese characters. The date is expressed in the Republican calendar as Year 17, corresponding to 1928. Reading the characters and matching them against a reference for Shansi/Shanxi provincial issues confirms both the issuer and the year, since several small holed coppers of the period look broadly similar.

Because this is a minor provincial issue, exact specifications such as diameter and weight should be measured from the coin in hand and compared with catalog entries. The central hole, copper color, and Republican Year 17 dating together are the most reliable diagnostics for attributing it to the Shansi Arsenal.

Value for a small provincial copper like the Shansi Arsenal 1 Fen is driven mainly by condition and eye appeal. Well-struck examples with clear characters, a cleanly centered hole, and even surfaces are more desirable, while worn, corroded, or damaged pieces sit at the lower end. As a low denomination that circulated heavily, many surviving coins show significant wear.

These pieces generally fall in the modest collectible range typical of Republican-era provincial copper minors rather than the higher values of scarce silver dollars. Interest comes chiefly from collectors of Chinese provincial and holed coinage, for whom the Shansi Arsenal issues form a distinct series.

Because condition and specific variety swing prices, treat any single figure with caution and compare against recent sales of the same type and date. For better examples, third-party grading and attribution help confirm authenticity and support value.