It is reported that from the mid-Ming Dynasty, some western businessmen began to trade in the southeast coastal areas of China, and foreign silver dollars also flowed into China. With the development of trade, the number of foreign silver dollars flowing into China has increased correspondingly, and the use area has also expanded. Under the influence of foreign silver dollars, the southeast coastal provinces of China took the lead in appearing silver coins modeled after foreign silver dollars. Because they are all made by artificial soil method, the production process is rough and cake-shaped, so they are called "silver cakes". According to the physical data, Taiwan Province Province is the earliest province in China to cast silver cakes.
The casting time of Shouxing Silver Cake in Taiwan Province Province is as long as 30 years, from Daoguang to Tongzhi. Among the handed down objects, Daoguang and Tongzhi have a clear date. Among them, the pattern of the birthday star cast by Daoguang Nian is in the center of the front, with the words "Daoguang Nian Zhu" and "Wenzu Silver Cake" on the left and right sides respectively, and the inscription "Ku Ping Mi Qi" below; Baoding pattern is cast in the middle of the back, and the words "Taiwan House Casting" are cast on the outer ring. During the Tongzhi period, the pattern of longevity was cast in the center of the front, the words "First year of Tongzhi" and "Made in Chiayi County" were cast on the left and right sides respectively, and the words "Footprint of Military Pay Pass" were cast on the back.
The other picture should look like this.