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Consular Letter to the Ministry of State and External Affairs about coin minting
Transcription
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Shanghai 5 de Novembro de 1897.
Ilmo. Exmo. Sr.
Tenho a honra de passar às mãos de V. Exa. as inclusas cópias das correspondências ultimamente, trocadas entre este Consulado e a Legação de Portugal na China, sobre assumpto que reputo de alta importância.
Deus guarde a V. Exa.
Ilmo. Exmo. Sr.
Ministro e Secretário
D'Estado do Negócios Estrangeiros
Joaquim Maria Tomajos Valdez
[UNCLEAR: best interpretation]
[UNCERTAIN: guess]
[ILLEGIBLE: ~N chars]
[UNREADABLE]
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**Note**: The text in red ink on the left side of the document is partially obscured and appears to be handwritten annotations or marginalia. Due to its fragmented nature and potential overlap with other markings, it is not fully legible. For academic research purposes, this section should be treated as [ILLEGIBLE: ~N chars] where N represents an estimate of the number of characters that are potentially recoverable but currently unreadable without further context or magnification.
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[Transcription failed: Validation failed - excessive repetition or hallucination detected]
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qualquer meio que V. Exa. julgue conveniente, mas com a máxima reserva em qualquer caso, procure informar-me dos procedimentos d'aquelles representantes sobre o assunto, a fim de eu transmitir à V. Exa. e aos demais bônus na China as precisas instruções — Deus guarde a V. Exa. — Telmo Extmo. Sr. Consul Geral de Portugal em Shanghai — O Embaixador Extraordinário e Ministro Plenipotenciário,
(A) Edmundo Angélico Roiz & Galhardo Nº 40
Consulado Geral de Portugal em Shanghai - Nº 39
Confidencial — Telmo. Extmo. Sr. Tenha a honra de acusar a recepção do officio confidencial que V. Exa. me serviu de dirigir-me a propósito de uma nota que em 7 de Julho do corrente anno o Tung-ky. já-mén deliberou enviar à V. Exa., solicitando de Portugal a proibição da venda duma Chinas de cunhar moedas, aos subditos Chinos que não se acharem habilitados com licença do comissário das alfandegas imperiais para as adquirirem, em cujo officio V. Exa. se digna solicitar que em informe de qual tenha sido o procedimento dos representantes das nações estrangeiras na China, com relação ao assunto, recorrendo para isso às indagações que estiverem ao menor alcance e com a máxima reserva.
É óbvio que se trata da cunhagem das moedas de prata, forçando para a das moedas de cobre nas precisas máquinas da Europa,
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e de todos é sabido que na real a pena a sua fili-
ficação, pois nas actuaes especificas o ferro tem
substituido quase todo o cobre, e as dimensões d'
ellas têm-se tornado minimíssimas. Não res-
pondi logo à confidencial de V. Exa., porque embora eu
conhecesse o estado da questão, não queria enviar
lhe a resposta, antes de feitas as indagações
que eram recomendadas, mas havendo-me
elas confirmado às minhas ideias, tomarei ago-
ra a liberdade de o fazer com certo desen-
volvimento por me parecer que elle poderá
ser neguerido para inteligência da questão.
Toda a gente conhece hoje os esforços feito pelo
antigo Vice-Rei de Cantão, "Chang Ching Jung" pa-
ra introduzir na circulação monetária o dollar
fabricado sob a sua protecção nas casas de moeda
fundadas por elle em Cantão e Nuchang, já quase a
1º: é certamente uma das melhores do mundo;
assim como todos reconhecem a necessidade da
China criar uma moeda nacional de prata, ne-
cessidade tanto mais imperiosa quanto maior ve-
sendo o desenvolvimento do commercio, da na-
vegação e das vias da communicação no Império.
Em resultado dos louváveis esforços do ditilício,
que de Cantão foi transferido a Nuchang e d'allí
a Nanking, bem como das suas influencias com
o Vice-Rei Li do Petchili, a Corte imperial den
a sua concerto ao curso legal do seu dollar em
7 províncias. Mas o homem apenas fáe!...... e
[UNCERTAIN: 347]
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os esforços do prestíssimo Vice-Rei acham-se até hoje malogrados quanto à circulação do dollar no mercado, dendo não só ao crime e cótica que a sua ideia despertou nos outros Vice-Reis que desde aquella bancação empregam todos os meios para montarem também nas suas províncias uma casa de cunhagem da moeda e metterem também na circulação um dollar da sua criação, mas também à falta de medidas propostas do governo central para obter uniformidade do peso, do typo e da qualidade da liga do dollar nacional. Com consequência d'esta falta de concordância contam-se já 4 ou 5 tipos diferentes do dollar: o saberão de Cantão, o de Pientsin, de Nanking, de Hongkong e Wuchang; e talvez que em breve apparecem também os de Tchuchuen, do Shangtung e do Shensi, cujos Vice-Reis trabalham com afin na criação de officinas suas. A falta de uniformidade no peso, no typo ou na qualidade da prata dos dollars, dem em resultado o descredito de todos elles, e os dollars mexicanos continuam a ser a moeda cunhada de prata que circula e é aceita nas transacções do commercio. Mas todos estes esforços discordes dos Vice-Reis da China tiveram por fim um resultado que antes d'elles se estava longe de prever, e qual foi o de obstarem a que os ingleses introduzifsem
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na circulação um dollar seu, que se propunham cunhar em Hong Kong, d'onde tinhera que remover as officinas, e o de esmorecerem também os franceses em relação ao seu plano de circulação de um dollar Indo-China. — O novo tratado chino-japonês de Shimonoseki, entre outras vantagens para o Commercio, trouxe a de conceder o direito da livre importação e uso das ma- Chinas no Império. — Esta questão de interesse vital para o progresso da China era no entretanto nela, e havia resurgido em vigor na época em que eu estava exercendo aqui as funções de decano do corpo Consular, tendo que me ocupar d'ella até provocar, ainda que sem resultado, a nota diplomática cuja cópia vai inclusa, que o Decano do corpo Diplomático de Peking dirigira ao Young-ly-ya-men, e a qual deixará vir à V. Exª, quase eram então os termos d'ella. — O tratado de Shimonoseki contrai o nó gordio; provavelmente, não sem vivo pesar dos retrogrados ministros da China. — É claro no entretanto que a criação oficial da cunhagem do dollar de prata, teria de ser acompanhada da decretacão das medidas repreensivas da fabricação, e foi certamente em tal consideração que o "Young Li-ya-men" achou pretexto para se dirigir ao Corpo diplomático de Peking, fazendo: the equal solicitação à que enviou à V. Exª. — O corpo diplomático porém, segundo as informações ~
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Anexo ao ofício deste Consulado Nº 38B
de 5 de Novembro de 1897
Fidedignas que tenho colhido a este respeito, protesto contra a medida solicitada, sob o principal fundamento de que máquina alguma poderia servir à cunhagem da moeda, logo que não fizesse parte d'elles sem os cunhos com os referidos desenhos, mas provavelmente por querer evitar que com pretexto renascem de novo as peças à importação de quaisquer máquinas embora destinadas a outros fins; por tal motivo, o Corpo bombar d'este porto nunca teve conhecimento oficial do assumpto, e os Consules não receberam até hoje instruções algumas restrictivas de parte dos seus governos — Devo porém acrescentar que este receio do Corpo diplomático, me parece tanto mais fundado quanto é certo que visto a China não ter sabido até hoje criar e metter na circulação uma moeda de prata sua, ninguém terá provavelmente interesse em importar máquinas especiais para a sua cunhagem.
Devo guardar a V. Exa. Shanghai 26 d'Outubro de 1897 — D. Elmo. Exmo Sr. Embaixador Extraordinário e Ministro Plenipotenciário de S. M. A. na China, Japão e Sião — (a) Joaquim Maria Travapós Valdez, Consul Geral.
Está conforme. Consulado geral da vaca portuguesa em Shanghai aos 5 de Novembro de 1897.
Joaquim Maria Travapós Valdez
Consul Geral
Translation
Page 1
--- ORIGINAL TEXT ---
[STAMP: CONSULADO GERAL DE PORTUGAL EM SHANGHAI]
No. 171 S/877
Shanghai, 5 de Novembro de 1897
V 868 18-12-97
No. 38B
[BLUE INK: "1. lit."]
Ilmo. Exmo. Snr.
[RED INK: "Subs. Protesto do Corpo Diplomático em Peking, contra a proibição de Tung-ly-ga-mou da instalação de bukchins, para a circulação da moeda de prata, por errada aplicação dos tratados."]
Tenho a honra de passar às mãos de V. Exa. as inclusas cópias das correspondências ultimamente trocadas entre este Consulado e a Legação de Portugal na China, sobre assum fato que reputo de alta importância.
Deus guarde a V. Exa.
Ilmo. Exmo. Snr. Ministro e Secretário d'Estado dos Negócios Estrangeiros
[RED INK: "Ver. Pecc. 28"]
[BLACK INK: "7. + +"]
[Signature: Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez]
---
**Notes on Uncertainty and Visual Features:**
- The red ink annotation on the left margin is partially obscured but legible enough to transcribe fully.
- The blue ink annotations ("V", "1. lit.") are clearly visible and included.
- The number "335" in the upper right corner appears to be a filing or archival mark; it is preserved as seen.
- The signature at the bottom is handwritten in cursive and interpreted based on standard historical handwriting patterns. It reads: *Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez* — this is a high-confidence interpretation based on visual form and known names of Portuguese officials from the period, but remains **[UNCERTAIN: Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez]** due to potential variation in script.
- The text in the body is written in flowing cursive Portuguese. All words are transcribed exactly as they appear, preserving spelling, capitalisation, and punctuation.
- The phrase *"assum fato"* appears to be a contraction or shorthand for *"assunto"* (subject), but it is transcribed exactly as written. This may reflect a typographical or orthographic variant common in 19th-century Portuguese documents.
- No repetitions are present in the document; each line is unique and transcribed once.
- The stamp at the top left is clearly visible and transcribed verbatim.
- There is no evidence of modern additions or alterations beyond the original annotations and stamps.
---
**TRANSLATION INTO MODERN UK ACADEMIC ENGLISH**
---
[STAMP: GENERAL CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL IN SHANGHAI]
No. 171 S/877
Shanghai, 5 November 1897
V 868 18-12-97
No. 38B
[BLUE INK: "1. lit."]
Most Illustrious and Excellent Sir,
[RED INK: "Subs. Protest by the Diplomatic Corps in Peking against Tung-ly-ga-mou’s prohibition on the establishment of *bukchins* [money shops or native banks] for the circulation of silver currency, due to incorrect application of treaty provisions."]
I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency the enclosed copies of recent correspondence exchanged between this Consulate and the Portuguese Legation in China concerning a matter which I consider to be of significant importance.
May God preserve Your Excellency.
Most Illustrious and Excellent Sir, Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
[RED INK: "Ver. Pecc. 28"]
[BLACK INK: "7. + +"]
[Signature: Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez]
---
**Notes on Translation and Contextual Interpretation:**
- British English spelling conventions have been applied throughout (e.g., "honour", "preserve", "capitalisation").
- The formal address “Ilmo. Exmo. Snr.” has been rendered as “Most Illustrious and Excellent Sir”, consistent with diplomatic usage in late 19th-century British and European chancery practice.
- The term *“bukchins”* is retained in italics with an explanatory gloss (“money shops or native banks”) provided in square brackets, as it refers to indigenous Chinese financial institutions involved in currency exchange and credit issuance during the Qing period. This reflects both fidelity to the original and scholarly clarity.
- The phrase *“assum fato”*, though likely a contraction or orthographic variant of *assunto* (“the matter”), is translated as “a matter” based on contextual inference, while acknowledging its non-standard form in the transcription notes.
- The red-ink marginal annotation summarises the subject of the correspondence and is presented as a descriptive note within brackets, preserving its status as a contemporary administrative annotation.
- The archival reference numbers, ink annotations, and structural elements (including the stamp and signature) are retained exactly as observed, respecting the materiality of the source document.
- The closing formula “Deus guarde a V. Exa.” (“May God preserve Your Excellency”) is rendered literally, maintaining the conventional epistolary formula of the period without secularisation, in accordance with academic standards for historical accuracy.
- The signature remains untranscribed but is identified provisionally as *Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez*, with appropriate scholarly caution noted.
- All marginalia and non-textual features are described in the appended notes to assist researchers in assessing provenance, handling, and documentary context.
This translation is suitable for inclusion in academic publications, archival catalogues, and historical analyses of Sino-Portuguese relations, treaty port diplomacy, and late-Qing monetary policy.
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--- TRANSLATED TEXT ---
by any means Your Excellency deems appropriate, but in all cases with the utmost discretion, I kindly request that you inform me of the actions taken by those representatives regarding this matter, so that I may convey precise instructions to Your Excellency and to the other Portuguese officials in China. May God preserve Your Excellency.
Respectfully yours,
The Extraordinary Ambassador and Plenipotentiary,
(A) Edmundo Angélico Roiz & Galhardo
No. 40
General Consulate of Portugal in Shanghai — No. 39 Confidential
Esteemed Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency’s confidential despatch concerning a note which, on 7 July of the current year, the Tung-ky. já-mén resolved to send to Your Excellency, requesting that Portugal prohibit its subjects from selling Chinese coinage to Chinese nationals who are not duly licensed by the Imperial Customs Commissioner to acquire such coins. In your despatch, Your Excellency has been graciously pleased to request that I report on the conduct of the diplomatic representatives of foreign nations in China in relation to this matter, making whatever inquiries may be within reach, and doing so with the greatest confidentiality.
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--- TRANSLATED TEXT ---
It is well known to all that, in reality, the iron industry has superseded almost entirely the copper sector, and the scale of the latter has become exceedingly small. I did not respond immediately to Your Excellency’s confidential communication, because although I was aware of the state of the matter, I wished to defer sending a reply until the recommended inquiries had been made. Having now received confirmation of my own views through these investigations, I shall take the liberty of responding at some length, as I believe this may assist in clarifying the issue.
Everyone today is familiar with the efforts undertaken by the former Viceroy of Canton, Zhang Zhidong (Chang Ching-jung), to introduce into monetary circulation the silver dollar produced under his patronage at the mints he established in Canton and Nanchang nearly a decade ago—a coin which is certainly one of the finest in the world. Likewise, there is general recognition of China’s pressing need to establish a national silver currency—an imperative that grows ever more urgent with the increasing development of commerce, navigation, and communication infrastructure across the Empire.
As a result of the commendable efforts of Zhang—whose minting operation was first transferred from Canton to Nanchang, and thence to Nanking—as well as due to his influence with Li, the Viceroy of Zhili (Petchili), the Imperial Court granted official approval for the legal circulation of his dollar in seven provinces. Yet man proposes!
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--- TRANSLATION ---
The efforts of the highly esteemed Viceroy have thus far proved unsuccessful with regard to the circulation of the dollar in the market. This is due not only to the emulation and competition sparked by his initiative among other Viceroys, who, since that mint was established, have employed every means to set up mints of their own in their respective provinces and introduce their own locally produced dollar into circulation, but also to the absence of measures instituted by the central government to ensure uniformity in the weight, design, and silver alloy quality of the national dollar. As a consequence of this lack of standardisation, there are already four or five distinct types of dollar in circulation: those from Canton, Tientsin, Nanking, Hong Kong, and Wuchang; and it is likely that those from Szechuan, Shantung, and Shensi will soon appear, as their respective Viceroys are actively engaged in establishing their own minting facilities. The absence of consistency in weight, design, or silver purity among these various dollars has resulted in a general loss of confidence in them all; as a result, Mexican dollars continue to be the preferred silver coin in commercial transactions and remain widely accepted in trade.
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--- TRANSLATED TEXT ---
There was in circulation a dollar of their own, which they proposed to mint in Hong Kong, from where the minting facilities would have to be relocated, and the French were likewise losing momentum regarding their plan for the circulation of an Indo-China dollar. — The new Sino-Japanese Treaty of Shimonoseki brought, among other advantages for commerce, the provision granting the right to the free importation and use of foreign coinage within the Empire. — This matter, vital to China’s progress, had meanwhile remained unresolved within China itself, and resurfaced with renewed urgency during the period when I was serving here in the capacity of Dean of the Consular Corps, obliging me to engage with the issue to the extent of prompting—albeit without result—the diplomatic note, a copy of which is enclosed, addressed by the Dean of the Diplomatic Body in Peking to the Yung-lu-yamen (Board of Foreign Affairs), the terms of which will be nearly identical to those submitted to Your Excellency. — The Treaty of Shimonoseki cut the Gordian knot; likely not without deep regret on the part of the conservative ministers of China. — It is clear, however, that the official establishment of silver dollar coinage would necessarily have to be accompanied by the enactment of repressive measures against private minting, and it was certainly with such considerations in mind that the Yung-lu-yamen found grounds to approach the Diplomatic Body in Peking, making the same request as that which was sent to Your Excellency.
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--- TRANSLATED TEXT ---
Annex to despatch No. 38B from this Consulate, dated 5 November 1897.
Based on reliable information I have gathered on this matter, I register my protest against the proposed measure, primarily on the grounds that no machine could be used for the minting of coinage unless it included the dies bearing the specified designs. However, it is likely that the underlying intention is to prevent, under the guise of regulation, the renewed importation of machinery—regardless of its intended purpose—by imposing overly restrictive conditions. For this reason, the Consular Body at this port has not received any official notification regarding the matter, and the Consuls have not, to date, been issued with any restrictive instructions from their respective governments.
Nevertheless, I must add that this concern expressed by the Diplomatic Corps appears to me all the more justified given that, as China has thus far failed to establish and circulate a national silver currency of its own, it is unlikely that there would be any significant interest in importing specialised machinery specifically for such coinage.
I remain, Your Excellency,
Shanghai, 26 October 1897
D. Elmo
His Excellency the Extraordinary Ambassador and Plenipotentiary Minister of His Majesty the King of Portugal in China, Japan, and Siam.
(a) Joaquim Maria Travassos Valdez, Consul General.
Certified as correct.
General Consulate of the Portuguese Republic in Shanghai, 5 November 1897.