1911 China Yunnan 50 Cents Silver Coin (LM-422) – PCGS MS62 Gold Shield
A handsome 1911 Yunnan 50 Cents, catalogued as L&M-422 / Y-257.3, and graded MS62 by PCGS.
This is an important late-Qing silver coin from Yunnan Province, struck during the final year of the Qing Dynasty and on the eve of the revolutionary events that would bring more than two thousand years of imperial rule in China to an end.
1911 — The Final Year of Imperial China
The date 1911 gives this coin exceptional historical significance.
In October of that year, the Wuchang Uprising launched the chain of events known as the Xinhai Revolution. Within months, the Qing Dynasty collapsed and the Republic of China was established in 1912.
This coin therefore comes from the very last year of China's imperial monetary system.
Its design still proudly displays the traditional Qing imperial dragon, representing the authority of the dynasty, at precisely the moment that dynasty was about to disappear.
That historical contrast makes the 1911 Yunnan dragon coin particularly compelling:
The dragon represents Imperial China — while the date represents its final year.
Yunnan and the Provincial Coinage System
Yunnan was one of China's important southwestern provinces, with its principal mint located at Kunming.
During the final decades of the Qing Dynasty, China relied heavily on provincial mints to produce silver and copper currency. These provincial issues became an important part of China's monetary landscape and are now highly collected for their distinctive designs and numerous varieties.
The Yunnan 50 Cents belongs to this fascinating series of provincial dragon coinage.
The LM-422 Variety
This coin is specifically identified as L&M-422, an important recognized variety within the Yunnan 50 Cents series.
One of the easiest ways to identify LM-422 is the presence of two circles beneath the flaming pearl on the dragon side.
These small design differences are significant to specialists because Yunnan produced numerous varieties of its dragon coinage. The L&M reference system allows collectors to identify and collect these varieties individually rather than treating every Yunnan 50 Cents as the same type.
PCGS identifies this issue as L&M-422, K-170, KM-Y-257.3, WS-0666, with the variety featuring two circles below the fiery pearl.
The Imperial Dragon
The magnificent dragon is the defining symbol of the coin.
In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon was directly associated with imperial power, the emperor, strength, and authority.
Here, the dragon appears with the flaming pearl beneath it, surrounded by the inscriptions identifying Yunnan Province and the Guangxu Yuanbao monetary system.
The imagery is particularly powerful when considered alongside the date.
In 1911, the Qing dragon was still appearing on China's money, but the political system represented by that dragon was already in its final months.
Silver Monetary History
The Yunnan 50 Cents is a substantial silver denomination, corresponding to 3 Mace 6 Candareens.
The coin contains approximately:
- Weight: 13.2 grams
- Fineness: .800 silver
- Actual Silver Weight: approximately 0.3395 troy oz.
This was meaningful circulating money in late-Qing China, rather than merely a commemorative or token issue.
PCGS MS62
This specimen is certified MS62 by PCGS, placing it firmly in the Mint State category.
The MS62 grade represents a coin that has escaped significant circulation while displaying the characteristics and surface marks appropriate to the grade.
According to the population information supplied:
- Grade: PCGS MS62
- PCGS Population: 8,597
- Higher Grades: 6,099
- Variety: L&M-422
- Region: China — Yunnan
The population figures represent certified coins and should not be interpreted as the total number of surviving examples.
While the population does not make this a population rarity, the combination of MS62 preservation, recognized L&M variety, silver composition, and the historic 1911 date makes it a desirable collector coin.
Why This Coin Is Valuable
The value of this coin comes from several factors working together:
1. 1911 date — The final year of the Qing Dynasty and one of the most important dates in modern Chinese history.
2. Mint State preservation — MS62 is substantially more desirable than circulated AU examples.
3. L&M-422 variety — A recognized specialist variety featuring the distinctive two circles beneath the flaming pearl.
4. Silver composition — A substantial .800 fine silver provincial coin.
5. Yunnan dragon type — Yunnan provincial dragon coins are an important and highly collected area of Chinese numismatics.
6. Historical symbolism — The Qing imperial dragon appears on a coin struck during the final year of the dynasty itself.
Coin Details
- Country: China
- Province: Yunnan
- Period: Late Qing Dynasty
- Date: 1911
- Denomination: 50 Cents
- Chinese denomination: 3 Mace 6 Candareens
- Reference: L&M-422 / Y-257.3
- Mint: Kunming
- Metal: .800 Silver
- Weight: Approximately 13.2 g
- Actual Silver Weight: Approximately 0.3395 oz.
- Variety: Two circles below the flaming pearl
- Grade: PCGS MS62
- PCGS Population: 8,597
- Higher Grades: 6,099
A Coin From the End of an Empire
Few dates tell a story as clearly as 1911.
This Yunnan 50 Cents was struck at the very end of the Qing Dynasty, when the imperial dragon still represented China's ancient political order. Within months, revolution would sweep across the country, the Qing emperor would abdicate, and the Republic of China would emerge.
For collectors of Chinese Imperial silver, Yunnan provincial coinage, dragon coins, L&M varieties, and revolutionary-era Chinese history, the 1911 LM-422 offers a remarkable combination of Mint State preservation and one of the most consequential dates in Chinese history.
A Mint State silver dragon from the final year of Imperial China.
