In May 1928 the Communist Party produced the first coin of their socialist revolution in the remote, bandit ridden region of Jinggangshan, China.

Framed by two revolutions: the Mexican revolution against Spanish rule, and the socialist revolution led by the Communist Party of China, this talk maps the journey of the Mexican silver dollar, or ‘Eagle coin,’ as it travelled from the mines of America to the remote hills of China.

Along the way, the coin became the dominant currency of southern and eastern China, Japan and northern Vietnam.  It changed the way the Chinese thought about money, and arguably, the coin helped launch one of the earliest futures markets, and the Chinese Communist revolution.

The OzAsia Festival keynote lecture will be presented by Michael Dutton, whose research is characterised by a strong interest in contemporary social and cultural theory wed to a specific ‘archive’ called China. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Politics, University of London and formerly Professor of Political Cultures at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University.

This event is co-presented by the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival.

FREE registration, The Biography of a Coin
18 September, 6pm
Banquet Room, Adelaide Festival Centre