LPM is proud to present the first in a new series of 5 featuring famous coins that were in circulation during the existence of the Republic of China. The first release will feature the Auto Dollar, a (in)famous coin produced during the reign of Warlord Zhou XiCheng in 1928 in the province of Kweichow and also the first coin in world history to depict an automobile.

Story and Design

The origins of the coin date back to 1928 to the warlord of Kweichow province, Zhou Xicheng, who decided to mint a coin to commemorate the completion of the Kweichow Provincial Highway, the first road in the province. In a province without modern roads­ and in a country without modern roads, Zhou Xicheng owned a luxury automobile imported from the United States that was shipped across to China, disassembled, carried on foot over the mountains to Kweichow, and reassembled.

Not satisfied with just having a car and a road leading to nowhere, Zhou requested that the event be commemorated on a coin. Originally wanting his portrayal on the coin, he settled for having his name inscribed in chinese characters (visible when the coin is titled to the side) after heavy objection from his closest advisors. The car however remained.

Ultimately, the legend goes that Zhou met his untimely demise whilst driving in his automobile on his province's road and being ambushed by rebel troops from a different district during a civil war. His legacy however remains to this day in one of modern China's most famous and highly collectible coins.