China - Boxer Rebellion 1900

This coin is not an issue of the Taiping period. The "Fists of Righteous Harmony," or 'Boxers' as they were known in the west, rebeled against the foreigners and the Ch'ing (Qing) Dynasty at the turn of the last century (1900). The Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi manipulated them to concentrate their anger against the western powers greedily fighting over their portion of a weakened China and forcing trade concessions. For a concise history of the end of thousands of years of Chinese dynastic rule go to this web link:
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I have not found this interesting piece in Hartill. Jen (p. 177, #903) has a bit of info on it. While some numismatists claim it is a coin of the Boxers, others contend it is a charm issued by merchants. The obverse legend (Seal script) says "Shui Lu Ping An", which means 'safe passage by land and sea.' This would tend toward a Boxer origin as well as the reverse which features one of the eight trigrams and weapons used by the Boxers. More research needs to be done on these.
Brass, 26mm; 8.16 gm

The Boxer Rebellion and its Numismatic Ramifications
By Jeremy Bostwick, Senior Numismatist and Cataloger [Stacks Bowers]
Author: Jeremy Bostwick / Wednesday, February 26, 2020 / Categories: World Coin of the Week
Following the Sino-Japanese War of 1895, western influence increased within China (both in terms of trade and an influx of European and American nationals). Similarly, anti-western sentiments among the native Chinese populace began to increase. One aspect that left many bewildered was the great latitude granted to Christian missionaries to spread the "western gospel." These missionaries were able to purchase land and avoid taxes, further incensing the overwhelming majority of the natives who remained unconverted. One of these groups in particular was the "boxers," a martial society so-called because of their athletic training and skillful swordsmanship. It was likely a band of these "boxers" who were behind the Juye Incident, an 1897 attack on two German missionaries in Shandong Province. This event precipitated a German response, with Kaiser Wilhelm II seizing territory as a reprisal. Other colonial powers quickly followed, only enraging the boxers even further.
By 1900, Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi (the real power in the empire, as in 1898 she had placed her installed nephew, the Guangxu [Kuang-hsü] Emperor under house-arrest), sided with the boxers in their growing attacks upon Christian missionaries, foreign nationals, and even native Chinese who had converted to Christianity. This was followed by the imperial court declaring war upon all foreign powers on 21 June, with numerous foreign soldiers, diplomats, and native converts besieged in the Legation Quarter in Beijing [Peking] for some 55 days. The Eight-Nation Alliance, composed of the United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, Germany, the United States, France, Italy, and Austria-Hungary, ended the siege with little loss of life to the allies, ultimately subjugating the boxers and the ruling Qing [Ch'ing] dynasty. Plunder and destruction ensued, with the boxers—and even those suspected of being boxers—summarily executed. Even government officials were unable to escape the western wrath, with many of those who had been most supportive of the boxers executed as well. Making matters worse, the empire was wracked with war reparations to be paid to the allies, further weakening an already struggling realm.
One of the casualties of the rebellion and its aftermath was the destruction of the Pei Yang Arsenal mint—the facility responsible for the striking of the local coinage for Zhili [Chihli]. As such, the year 26 coinage of the Guangxu Emperor—corresponding to 1900—is much more difficult to find than other years.