PCGS MS63 1875-1908 CHINA Guang Xu Tianjian mint, Chili Province AE cash

CHINA: Guang Xu, 1875-1908, AE cash, Tianjian mint, Zhili Province, H-1460, Hsu-410.3, large characters, struck in 1888, PCGS graded MS63. In 1888, Governor-General Li Hongzhang reported at length the problems of striking cash coins using western machinery. These coining presses has been purchased from Greenwood & Bailey of Leeds at the cost of 27,000 liang of silver. Despite careful costing, it required 2,237 cash to make 1,000 regulation coins. Permission was requested to discontinue use of the machinery. The mint briefly operated again from 1896-1900.