Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01

in the market. The provincial dollars
are looked upon with distrust. and mer-
chants are careful to- weigh them when
they are received in payment for purchase
the Boxers additional mints were being es-
tablished In the provinces, the machinery
for them being obtained in the United
states Several Of the large commercial
Chefoo and Annoy, have local minis for the
coinage of silver. From a statement pub
nsned about three months ago IN the North
China News. NO less than ten different
in different parts Of China.
The ''Haikwan" Standard.
The "tael,'' whfeh is, ystrictly speaking. a
weight and not coin, differs in various
cities and provinces, the weight of silver
recognized as ''tael'' being greater at some
points than 1T others. BY common consent,
rather than from it's intrinsic value the
Haikwan "tael' is taken as the standard,
ana while 1t varies in value at different
times, 1t Is quoted in a recent consular re-
port at ~ cents in gold. The Haikwan
taei is also the customs or the CONNER
clal "tael.' and in foreign trade everything
Is bought and sold by this measure of value.
In the report above referred to the "taef'
OF Annoy was quoted at Il cents: that Of
canton at IoS cents: the Chinkiang "taef'
was worth 693 cents: the Ningpo "tael' at
6S2 cents; the Chefoo "taer' at $40 cents
and the Shanghai "tael', was quoted at 64.s
cents in gold. The "tael' also fiuctuates in
Eaiue from year to year. For instance. in
January 1888. the Haikwan ''tael" was
quoted at 637 cents: in January, 1899 1t
was ~ cents; in April, 1899, 1t was ia
cents, and in January, 1900, it was us
cents. Similar fluctuations are noticeable
in the values quoted for the "tael'' in other
cities and provinces.
table of relative values prepared in 1899
by the United States Treasury Department
nftrts
of China as follows:
~ cash. :-..........-.......1 condemn
~ ~ , u"naerih. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. mace
~ ihaSe.. ...................1 taeI
The 'sycee' is an indefinite quantity of
SILVER cast, as Its name signifies, in the
form OF a woman's shoe, with the weight
written upon ii in Chinese characters. Its
value Is somewhat prob!eraatic by reason
alike of the f1uctuation of silver and the
uncertainty of the fineness of the metal
USED Inc estimates made by consular off,
GERS put the per cent of silver In the
sycee at %, or per cent finer that the
American coin. The actual weight of the
sycee is determined by officers appointed
by the merchants to weigh those offered
as money. 1t is said that such officials
are not beyond the power of a bride. though
1naccuracy and lack of integrity on their
part are punishable by decapitation. The
Sycee Is treated in commercial transac-
tons the same silver bars have been in
the mining communities of the west
The "Cash" Varies.
The cash." which appears to be the
foundation coin of China, and which people
regard the most stable form of their cur
rency, varies in fineness and weight, as is
shown in the fact that in some cases LOCO
cash are accepted the equal of a Next
can dollar. while elsewhere 1000 of them
are demanded in exchange for the same.
Gold coin is practically unknown in
China, no coins of this metal being made
at the mints. and gold coins of other COIN
tries have never circulated to any great
extent. The value of gold is recognized,
and gold, whether in coin or in bulk, has
been used as a medium of exchange, upon
of it's value.
From the above statement 1T is seen that
the cash the "sycee'' and the dollar,
and even the gold coin bars of other
do service as money in China.
There is, however, relation between
them, except such as is brought out by tne
scales in the weight of the "tael.' The
Mexican dollar, as we'll as that turned out
from the local mints. is equal in value to
about three-fourths of one Haikwan "tacI."
which leads all others in value, and is per-
haps less liable to fiuctuation.
China has not yet learned to its full eN-
tent the use of the check and the bank of
deposit, the money order or the bank trait
in her mercantile transactions.