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Flags appearing on Coins (China)

Last modified: 2003-08-09 by phil nelson
Keywords: china | coins | dragon | sun |
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In doing some work on flags that appear on Chinese coins I ran across one that I did not find on your website (it might be there - but I could have missed it) so am sending it along.

The flag is the Revolutionary Army Flag 1911-1912. The flag appears on a number of Chinese coins issued between about 1912 and the 1920's. It usually appears on the coins crossed with the 5 band Flag of the Republic, with the Revolution flag on the right and the Republic flag on the left.

[1911 revolutionary flag] by Joel Anderson

The illustration of the flag is from the book "Coins in China's History" by Arthur Braddan Coole. 4th edition, 1965 Inter-Collegiate Press, Inc. Mission, KS. The explanation given with the flag is as follows:

Revolutionary Army Flag 1911-1912

During the period of the revolutionary days of 1911-1912 this flag was carried by the Chinese Army. The red stood for sacrifice and the black for an iron will. The blue handles to the dumb-bells represented the Chinese people, while the eighteen heats stood for the original 18 provinces of China Proper. (page vii)

Rev. Coole was a long-time missionary in China before the 1949 Revolution and was considered the leading authority on Chinese coins for many years.

[Imperial dragon flag] by Joel Anderson

The same page also included a slightly different version of the Chinese Imperial Flag than is on the web site. The only explanation given is "Dragon Flag of the Chinese Imperial Government Ch'ing Dynasty A.D. 1644-1911"
Joel Anderson, 12 March 2002