World Coin BookWorld coin encyclopedia

Cross-country learning guide

Trade Silver across East Asia

A bounded chronology of Spanish-American, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Taiwan, and treaty-port silver contexts.

ChronologyPacific tradeTreaty portsNational standards
Routes
14
Relationships
8
Ports
8
Status
Published

Chronology

From maritime silver to bounded national reforms

Taiwan and maritime East Asia

Dutch and Spanish trade drew silver into Taiwan's maritime exchange setting.

East Asian maritime trade

Mexican independence changed the issuing authority while the large silver-dollar trade role continued.

China coast

The first treaty-port system widened institutional channels for foreign trade; coin acceptance still varied by port.

Yokohama and opened Japanese ports

Mexican dollars entered the treaty exchange system; the official 改三分定 countermark had a short, bounded use.

East Asian trade

Japan issued the 420-grain Trade Yen as a separate trade coin.

Chinese treaty ports

Contemporary reports distinguished port-by-port circulation, customs valuation, and premiums for Mexican and other dollars.

Korea

Korea's modern currency rules established a silver standard while addressing domestic and foreign coins.

Taiwan under Japanese rule

Japan continued producing silver yen for Taiwan after domestic demonetization, ending after the 1914 production.

China

A central-government Chinese dragon dollar provides one documented endpoint in a wider, non-uniform silver-dollar development.

Taiwan

The Taiwan dollar replaced the Taiwanese yen at par in 1946; the New Taiwan dollar replaced the old unit at 1:40,000 in 1949.

Accessible network

Origins, exchange centers, circulation, and marks

Arrows show documented relationship directions, not a single pipeline or fixed border map.

  • Origin where a coin was issued or minted
  • Exchange center where value or customs treatment was negotiated
  • Mark location a separate post-strike event when supported

Source trail

Institutional and contemporary evidence