户部造币厂是目前我国历史最悠久的造币厂，主要生产流通铜币、金银币等。据文献记载，光绪二十二年，根据盛京将军依克唐阿的奏请，批准设立并筹建户部机器局以铸造机制银币，从德国进口锅炉和以蒸汽机为动力的铸币机器，于光绪二十三年(1897年)户部机器局正式建成。“户部制造银元总局”的前身，是“户部机器局”。光绪二十四年至二十六年（1898-1900年），曾先后附铸银币和机制铜钱。光绪二十六年（1900年）义和团运动爆发，户部机器局毁于战火，后来应市面之需，户部在机器局原址重建造币厂，名为“户部银元总局”，专产银币铜元。光绪二十九年七月（1903年），厂竣开工，铸发银币及铜元。

清朝末期铜钱价格剧涨，百姓毁普通钱币，为提高铜钱价格，以获得数倍利益，市面出现钱荒。广东因停铸制钱，市面制钱日乏，小额流通十分不方便。为救钱荒，同时受香港铜元及外币影响，光绪26年6月，两广总督德寿与前总督李鸿章奏准广东仿香港铜仙铸造机制铜元。故清代机制铜元的铸造由广东伊始。继而福建、江苏、四川等省相继仿铸铜元。

户部造级别很高，因而十分珍罕。且因清代以来国内经历了多场战争，户部造光绪元宝损失严重，至今，其数量已经极其有限，乃凤毛麟角般存在，极其宝贵。光绪元宝二十文，钱币珠圈内钤有光绪元宝四字，上钤有大清铜币满文，左右户部二字，下钤有当制钱二十文，标明钱值。背面钤有四爪飞龙，上钤有HU POO，下钤有英文纪值；中央的飞龙自上至左向右环绕一周，龙头置上，两根龙须下垂，鼻梁突起，两眼炯炯有神，龙纹精细，火球在下。其图案圆润凸起，错落有致，有立体雕塑之感。光绪元宝承载着一个时代的社会背景和文化特色，深受历史熏陶。光绪元宝是大清光绪年间流通的大面值货币之首，是我国首批引进海外技术的印发流通货币，对于现今也蕴藏了一定历史意义，值得广大藏家收藏！

Hubu Mint is the oldest Mint in China. It mainly produces copper coins, gold and silver coins. According to the records, in the 22nd year of Guangxu, at the request of general yiketanga of Shengjing, it was approved to set up and prepare to build the machinery bureau of the Ministry of household to make machine-made silver coins, and imported boilers and coining machines powered by steam engines from Germany. The machinery bureau of the Ministry of household was officially completed in the 23rd year of Guangxu (1897). The predecessor of "General Bureau of manufacturing silver and Yuan" is "General Bureau of machinery". From the 24th to the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1898-1900), silver coins and machine-made copper coins were successively attached. In 1900, the Boxer Movement broke out and the machinery bureau of Hubu was destroyed. Later, to meet the needs of the market, the mints of Hubu were rebuilt at the original site of the machinery bureau, which was called "silver and copper Bureau of Hubu", specializing in silver and copper coins. In July of the 29th year of Guangxu (1903), the factory was completed and started to produce silver coins and copper coins.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the price of copper coins rose sharply, and the common people destroyed ordinary coins. In order to increase the price of copper coins and obtain multiple benefits, there was a shortage of money in the market. Due to the stop of casting and making money in Guangdong, there is a shortage of money making in the market, and the circulation of small amount is very inconvenient. In order to save the money shortage, and at the same time affected by the Hong Kong copper dollar and foreign currency, in June 26, Guangxu, Guangdong and Guangdong governor Deshou and former governor Li Hongzhang agreed that Guangdong imitated Hong Kong copper fairy to cast machine-made copper dollar. Therefore, the casting of machine-made copper yuan in Qing Dynasty started from Guangdong. Then Fujian, Jiangsu, Sichuan and other provinces successively imitated the casting of copper yuan.

It is very rare because of its high level. Since the Qing Dynasty, there have been many wars in China, and the Yuanbao of Guangxu made by Hubu has suffered a serious loss. So far, its quantity is extremely limited, which is rare and precious. There are four characters of Guangxu Yuanbao in the bead circle, Manchu of Qing Dynasty copper coin on the top, two characters of left and right household, and twenty characters of Dangqian on the bottom, indicating the value of money. On the back of the seal is a flying dragon with four claws, on the top is Hu Pao, and on the bottom is English. The flying dragon in the center circles from top to left and right, with the dragon head on, two dragon whiskers drooping, nose protruding, two bright eyes, fine dragon pattern and fireball at the bottom. Its design is round and convex, with a sense of three-dimensional sculpture. Guangxu Yuanbao carries the social background and cultural characteristics of an era and is deeply influenced by history. Guangxu Yuanbao is the first large denomination currency in circulation during the reign of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. It is the first batch of circulation currency in China to introduce overseas technology. It also has a certain historical significance for today and is worth collecting by collectors!