Token in commemoration of the founding of "United China Relief"

何氏币 · 发表于 2020-6-30 14:13:51

The lucky token posted was issued in 1941 in commemoration of the founding of "United China Relief".

The token has a design of Chinese cast coin with a square center hole. It is made of brass with a diameter of 27.5 mm. On the obverse is a Chinese dragon around the center hole, with inscribed English “Lucky Coin Rochester. NY-United China Relief-1941.” surrounding the dragon; The reverse is inscribed with four Chinese characters: “急公好义”, meaning: “ready to stand up for justice”.

United China Relief was founded in 1941 in New York City for the purpose of raising funds to aid the Chinese people during times of national crisis. The main function of United China Relief was to provide funds for the relief and rehabilitation of the Chinese people. Ancillary goals were to serve as a medium for informing Americans on events and conditions in China, and to help to reassure the Chinese people of continued American concern and friendship.

China, with its recurring famines, has long been the object of charitable and humanitarian aid. The Sino-Japanese War which broke out in 1937 added to the flood of refugees, and sick, wounded, and destitute persons. Throughout the war years many committees were formed in America for the purpose of raising funds to aid the Chinese people. In order to make the raising of funds more efficient by reducing duplication of effort, several committees joined together in 1941 to found United China Relief which was chartered in the State of New York, with its headquarters in New York City. Among the founding organizations were the American Bureau for Medical Aid to China, the Associated Boards for Christian Colleges in China, the China Emergency Relief Committee, the Church Committee for China Relief, and the China Aid Council.

The main function of United China Relief was to provide funds for the relief and rehabilitation of the Chinese people. Ancillary goals were to serve as a medium for informing Americans on events and conditions in China, and to help to reassure the Chinese people of continued American concern and friendship. In practical terms the mission of United China Relief was to raise money for distribution to the various committees which had joined together in founding it. The founding committees retained their own individual identities and continued their own relief missions in China.

In 1947 the name of the organization was changed to "United Service to China".