银元起源于15世纪，始铸于欧洲，俗称“洋钱”、“花边钱”或“大洋”，是世界上银本位制国家的主要流通货币，大约在16世纪（明万历年间），银元流入中国。在清末民国时期，流通市场的钱币混乱不堪，多种外国钱币充斥我国钱币市场， 安南银元便是在此时进入中国人民的视野。安南银元俗称“坐洋币”， 法属印度支那贸易银元，银币正面为自由女神坐像，这也是“坐洋”得名的原因，背面的装饰图案为麦穗，法文有“贸易银元”和“法属印度支那”等。“坐洋币”进入我国后，开始在广东、广西一带流通，因其制作精美，深得商民喜爱。法兰西政府看到“坐洋币”银元在中国有利可图，便大量铸造，大量输入。不久，“坐洋币”银元便在中国大部分地区使用。当时，在中国流通的外国货币中，“坐洋币”银元已占相当大比例，使中国白银源源不断的流入法兰西，经贸利益受到严重损害。“坐洋币”银元作为一种历史载体，记录了鸦片战争以后，中国人民政治上受压迫，经济上受剥削的屈辱历史。“ 坐洋”的形象虽然与其后英国铸造的“ 站洋”中持戟武士傲然挺立船头的形象大相径庭，但却丝毫无法掩盖殖民主义者大规模进行经济侵略的野心。各种坐洋断断续续发行至1937年后才宣告结束，恰逢中国在1933年实行废两改元后，船洋法币逐渐一统市场，外国银圆在中国的好日子不复再了，坐洋币也随着销声匿迹。

 

此钱币为1899年坐洋币，重约：19g直径约：3.8cm，正面的主图为手执束棒的自由女神坐像，这也是“坐洋”得名的原因，坐像的两侧铸法文文字：REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE（法兰西共和国），女神座下方有小字法文BARRE和该币发行的年份“1899”；背面的主图案为一稻穗环，上方铸法文为：FRANCAISE INDO-CHINE（法兰西印度支那），花环中间的横向文字为面额：PIASTRE DE COMMERCE(皮阿斯特的贸易银)，下方文字为：TITRE 0.900 POIDS 27 GR。字迹工整，保存完好。此坐洋币历经无数岁月，仍品相完好，十分难得。不论是文字还是图案，都显得自然细腻，设计新颖，铸工精湛。藏品市场历来有物以稀为贵之说，外国早期商贸银元由于传世日久，经过了近百年的市场消耗，其实际存世数量已远远低于各类现代币中的一些“热门品种”，因此具有很高的投资收藏价值。而“坐洋”银币由法国货币局的巴黎造币厂铸造，由于做工精良，成色足，受到了亚洲各国人民的青睐。Silver dollar originated in the 15th century and was first cast in Europe, commonly known as "foreign money", "lace money" or "ocean". It is the main currency in the world's silver standard countries. It flowed into China in about the 16th century (Wanli years of the Ming Dynasty). At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the coins in the circulation market were chaotic, and a variety of foreign coins flooded the Chinese coin market. Annam Silver dollar came into the sight of the Chinese people at this time. Annam silver dollar is commonly known as "sitting foreign currency", French Indochina trade silver dollar, the front of the silver coin is free goddess sitting, which is also the reason for "sitting foreign currency", the back of the decorative pattern for wheat, French "trade silver dollar" and "French Indochina" and so on. After entering China, "Sitting foreign currency" began to circulate in Guangdong and Guangxi. Because of its exquisite production, it was deeply loved by merchants. The French government saw that "sitting foreign currency" silver dollar was profitable in China, so it was minted in large quantities and imported in large quantities. Before long, the "sitting foreign currency" silver dollar was in use in most parts of China. At that time, in the circulation of foreign currency in China, "sitting foreign currency" silver dollar has accounted for a considerable proportion, so that China's silver continued to flow into France, economic and trade interests suffered serious damage. As a historical carrier, the silver dollar recorded the humiliating history of political oppression and economic exploitation of the Chinese people after the Opium War. Although the image of "sitting on the ocean" was quite different from the image of the warrior with halberd standing proudly on the bow in the "standing on the ocean" created by the British later, it could not conceal the colonialists' ambition of large-scale economic aggression. All kinds of sitting ocean intermittent issuance to 1937 was announced to end, coincides with China in 1933 after the abolition of two yuan, ship ocean legal currency gradually unified the market, foreign silver dollar in China no longer good days, sitting ocean currency also disappeared.

 

 

 

This coin is the sitting foreign currency of 1899, weighing about 19g and diameter about 3.8cm. The main picture on the front side is a sitting statue of Liberty holding a beam rod, which is also the reason for the name "sitting foreign". French words are cast on both sides of the sitting statue: REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE, with the French word "BARRE" in small print below the goddess and the year "1899"; The main pattern on the back is a ring of rice ears, with the words "FRANCAISE Indo-chine" cast on the top. The horizontal text in the middle of the wreath is the denomination "PIASTRE DE COMMERCE" and the words "PIASTRE DE COMMERCE" below: TITRE 0.900 POIDS 27 GR. The handwriting is neat and well preserved. This sitting foreign currency after countless years, is still in good condition, is very rare. Whether it is text or pattern, all appear natural and delicate, novel design, exquisite casting. The collection market has always been said that things are rare as expensive, the early foreign trade silver dollar due to the passage of time, after nearly a hundred years of market consumption, the actual number of existence has been far lower than all kinds of modern coins in some of the "popular varieties", so it has a high investment collection value. And "sit the ocean" silver coin by the French Currency Bureau of the Paris mint cast, because of fine workmanship, enough color, has been favored by the people of Asian countries.