Kwangtung Province 7 Mace and 3 Candareens (Dragon Dollar)

China (Kwangtung Province Mint) · 1890-1908

A classic Chinese imperial silver dragon dollar featuring Manchu and Chinese characters on the obverse and a winding imperial dragon surrounded by English legends on the reverse.

Country: China (Kwangtung Province Mint)
Year: 1890-1908
Denomination: 7 Mace and 3 Candareens (One Dollar)
Metal: 0.900 Silver, 0.100 Copper
Grade: Fine to Very Fine (moderate to heavy wear on high points, pleasing dark toning)

This report is AI-generated and can be wrong. Always verify grade, authenticity, and value with a qualified dealer or certified grading service before buying, selling, or insuring.

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Overview

A classic Chinese imperial silver dragon dollar featuring Manchu and Chinese characters on the obverse and a winding imperial dragon surrounded by English legends on the reverse.

Historical significance

Issued during the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Guangxu, these coins were part of China's transition to machine-struck coinage modeled after Western trade dollars to facilitate commerce.

Obverse (front)

Features Chinese characters 'Guang Xu Yuan Bao' arranged around a central Manchu script, flanked by rosettes, with English text 'KWANG-TUNG PROVINCE' at the top and '7.3 CANDAREENS' at the bottom.

Reverse (back)

Features a full-faced imperial Chinese dragon winding around a pearl, surrounded by Chinese characters indicating the province and weight standard ('Kwangtung Province' at top, '7 mace and 3 candareens' at bottom).

Estimated value

$100-$300 for heavily circulated examples, $500-$3,000+ for higher grades (AU to Mint State)

What drives this coin's value

Overall state of preservation, degree of original luster, absence of cleaning or harsh scratches, and specific year/die varieties.

Grade assessment

Fine to Very Fine (moderate to heavy wear on high points, pleasing dark toning)

Mintage & rarity

Varies by year and die variety; generally scarce to rare depending on preservation and specific reign year, with many common-date survivors heavily worn.

Authenticity & counterfeit red flags

Check weight and diameter precisely. Beware of modern counterfeit casts made from base metals that lack the sharp strike, correct reeded edge, and proper silver ring test.

Notable varieties & errors

Numerous minor spacing, character size, and cloud variation die-pairs exist; prominent long-cloud and short-cloud varieties are collected by specialists.

Similar coins

Other Chinese provincial dragon dollars from provinces such as Kiangnan, Peiyang, Fengtien, and Szechuan.

Care & preservation

Store in a stable, low-humidity environment using inert holders (PVC-free). Never clean, dip, or wipe the coin, as cleaning drastically destroys its numismatic value.