Manchukuo speculated mintage figures (1933 - 1945)

 

 

As far as I am aware, there is no catalog that I know of that lists the mintage of coins struck for Manchukuo Province. Perhaps there was no official record of mintage but there is a record of the amount of yuan that has been distributed in terms of coins and banknotes.

 

Reference used:

伪满洲国    货币研究 (weimanzhouguo huobiyanjiu), 吉林摄影出版社, 李重    著, 2002年, ISBN 7-80606-575-X

 

 

Year Total (thousands of yuan) Coins (total in thousands of yuan) Banknotes (total in thousands of yuan) % in coins
1932                 151,865                    151,865 0%
1933                 131,392                      2,169                  129,223 2%
1934                 184,104                    15,772                  168,332 9%
1935                 198,939                    20,284                  178,655 11%
1936                 274,691                    20,448                  254,243 8%
1937                 329,909                    22,420                  307,489 7%
1938                 452,896                    27,159                  425,737 6%
1939                 657,345                    33,724                  623,621 5%
1940                 991,229                    44,179                  947,050 5%
1941             1,317,029                    55,498              1,261,531 4%
1942             1,728,145                    58,514              1,669,631 4%
1943             3,079,795                    68,608              3,011,187 2%
1944             5,876,853                    71,042              5,805,811 1%
1945 July             8,085,042  NA     
1945 Nov           13,600,000  NA     

 

There is a rarity table list given.

1 being rare to 5 being common.

Year   Cumulative value of coins (yuan) Value of coins issued yearly (yuan) 1 jiao 1 jiao rarity 5 fen 5 fen rarity 1 fen 1 fen rarity 5 li 5 li rarity
1932 Da Tong 1                             -                               -                  
1933 Da Tong 2              2,169,000              2,169,000 Ni 3 Ni 3 Cu 3 Cu 3
1934 Da Tong 3            15,772,000            13,603,000 Ni Old 5 Ni Old 3 Cu Old 3 Cu Old 5
Kang De 1 Ni New 5 Ni New 5 Cu New 3 Cu New 5
1935 Kang De 2            20,284,000              4,512,000 Ni 5 Ni 5 Cu 5 Cu 5
1936 Kang De 3            20,448,000                  164,000     Ni 3 Cu 5 Cu 3
1937 Kang De 4            22,420,000              1,972,000     Ni 5 Cu 5 Cu 5
1938 Kang De 5            27,159,000              4,739,000 Ni 5     Cu 5    
1939 Kang De 6            33,724,000              6,565,000 Ni Old 5 Ni 5 Cu 5 Cu 3
        Al 5    
1940 Kang De 7            44,179,000            10,455,000 Ni New 5 Al 5 Al  5    
Al 5            
1941 Kang De 8            55,498,000            11,319,000 Al 5 Al 5 Al 5    
1942 Kang De 9            58,514,000              3,016,000 Al 5 Al 5 Al 5    
1943 Kang De 10            68,608,000            10,094,000 Al Old 1 Al Old 5 Al Old 5    
Al New 3 Al New 4 Al New 3    
1944 Kang De 11            71,042,000              2,434,000     Al New 3 Al New 3    
    Fibre 3        
1945 Kang De 12  No data        Fibre 2 Fibre 3    

 

From this, I worked out an approximate mintage of the coins issued:

  Total value in fen 1 jiao 1 jiao mintage 5 fen 5 fen mintage 1 fen 1 fen mintage 5 li 5 li mintage
Da Tong 1                            -                  
Da Tong 2        216,900,000 Ni    13,145,455 Ni  13,145,455 Cu  13,145,455 Cu    13,145,455
Da Tong 3    1,360,300,000 Ni Old    45,043,046 Ni Old  27,025,828 Cu Old  27,025,828 Cu Old    45,043,046
Kang De 1 Ni New    45,043,046 Ni New  45,043,046 Cu New  27,025,828 Cu New    45,043,046
Kang De 2        451,200,000 Ni    27,345,455 Ni  27,345,455 Cu  27,345,455 Cu    27,345,455
Kang De 3          16,400,000     Ni     2,288,372 Cu     3,813,953 Cu      2,288,372
Kang De 4        197,200,000     Ni  30,338,462 Cu  30,338,462 Cu    30,338,462
Kang De 5        473,900,000 Ni    43,081,818     Cu  43,081,818    
Kang De 6        656,500,000 Ni Old    37,947,977 Ni  37,947,977 Cu  37,947,977 Cu    22,768,786
                                           Al  37,947,977    
Kang De 7    1,045,500,000 Ni New    40,211,538 Al  40,211,538 Al   40,211,538    
Al    40,211,538            
Kang De 8    1,131,900,000 Al    70,743,750 Al  70,743,750 Al  70,743,750    
Kang De 9        301,600,000 Al    18,850,000 Al  18,850,000 Al  18,850,000    
Kang De 10    1,009,400,000 Al Old    10,853,763 Al Old  54,268,817 Al Old  54,268,817    
Al New    32,561,290 Al New  43,415,054 Al New  32,561,290    
Kang De 11        243,400,000     Al New  22,127,273 Al New  22,127,273    
    Fibre  22,127,273     Non-official mintage - gxseries.com
Kang De 12 Unknown     Fibre                    -   Fibre                    -  

 

Note that while the mintage may seem higher than what is out in the market, there are a few things to consider:

  1. Biggest assumption is the formula used to create these figures - highly dependent on rarity scale.
  2. Bookkeeping record may not be accurate - dates may not align against when the coins were issued and when the bookkeeping is done. Good example is Kang De 3 - mintage seems absurdly low. Kang De 10 seems to be questionable - mintage seem to be too high considering how difficult I found these coins to be. Catalog value for fibre coins seem to be too high considering how common they are in the market.
  3. Significant of coins in particular nickel and copper were bought back by the Japanese at more than face value as they became critical war material. Fibre coins had to be introduced as aluminium became expensive as well. Significant amount of Manchukuo coins were later melted down for scrap as Chinese public's image of any Japanese occupational materials just had to go.

 

As of what I think of this, other than the two years (Kang De 3 and Kang De 10) which I suspect something does not look quite right, most 5 li coins are difficult to obtain (except for Da Tong year 3, Kang De 1 and 4) as well as coins from 1933, 1942 and 1943. Key date is still the old type 1943 1 jiao aluminium coin. Fibre coins seem to be overrated in many catalogs. Most of these coins can be obtained if you look hard however demand is still outstripping supply. High grade Manchukuo coins now command some ridiculous figures.

 

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Last updated: 12/05/2013