中国的机制币大致走过这样的历程:先是地方自发制造银元;再由中央政府批准,各省正式自制银元、自制铜元;最后由中央政府统一币制。银两制的发展和西方银元流入中国市场的影响,最终催生了中国银元制的诞生,近代机制币终于取代了中国传统的银两和古钱,成为中国近现代社会的一种主要流通货币。 China’s mechanism of coins generally go through such a course: First, spontaneous local silver dollar; then approved by the Central Government, the provinces formally made silver, homemade copper; finally by the central government unified currency system. The development of the “two systems” and the influx of western silver dollars into the Chinese market eventually led to the birth of the Chinese silver dollar system. Modern mechanical coins eventually replaced traditional Chinese silver coins and ancient coins and became the major circulating currency in modern and contemporary China.