袁大头是民国时期主要流通货币之一，“袁大头”是对袁世凯像系列硬币的口语俗称，严谨点说叫“袁世凯像背嘉禾银币”。北洋政府为了整顿币制，划一银币，于民国三年（1914年）二月，颁布《国币条例》十三条，决定实行银本位制度。《国币条例》规定："以库平纯银六钱四分八厘为价格之单位，定名为圆"，"一圆银币，总重七钱二分，银八九，铜一一"，"一圆银币用数无限制"，即以一圆银币为无限法偿的本位贷币。根据这一规定，于1914年12月及1915年2月， 先后由造币总厂及江南造币厂开铸一圆银币，币面镌刻袁世凯头像，俗称"袁头币"或"袁大头"。

民国三年版正面为袁世凯侧面像，上列“中华民国三年”。“年”字后没有“造”字，其他年版都在“年”字后面有一“造”字。三年版“民”字中有一“点”，而其他年版民字无“点”。三年版有老模和新模两种模具，老模具为185道边齿，新模具为170道边齿，铸量都较多，属普通流通版。铸造量较少的版别有：O记版，粗发版，三角圆版，开口贝版，甘肃版，苏维埃版，英文签字版，T字版，鹰洋版。

此枚三年袁大头为十分稀少的英文签字版签字错版。保存依然较为完好，整体包浆入骨，熟旧自然，字体端正工整，清秀俊逸，可见匠师的雕刻工艺十分精湛，而且具有极高的投资价值和收藏价值。

Yuan Big head was one of the major currencies in circulation during the Republic of China. Yuan Datou is the colloquial name for Yuan Shikai's image series of coins. Strictly speaking, it is called "Yuan Shikai's image carries Jiahe silver coins". In order to rectify the currency system, Beiyang government unified a silver coin. in February of the third year of the Republic of China (1914), it promulgated 13 articles of the national currency regulations and decided to implement the silver standard system. The National Currency Ordinance stipulates that "the unit with a price of 6.8% of Kuping sterling silver is named as a round", "a round silver coin has a total weight of 7.2%, silver 89, and copper 11", "there is no limit on the number of coins used in a round silver coin", that is, a round silver coin is used as the standard loan currency for unlimited repayment. According to this regulation, in December 1914 and February 1915, the Mint General Factory and Jiangnan Mint respectively opened a silver coin with Yuan Shikai's head engraved on it, commonly known as "Yuan Tou Coin" or "Yuan Datou".

The front of the three-year edition of the Republic of China is a profile of yuan Shikai, listed above as "the three years of the Republic of China". There is no word "Zao" after the word "Nian". Other editions have a word "Zao" after the word "Nian". There is a "dot" in the three-year version of the word "min", while there is no "dot" in the other year versions. The three-year edition has two kinds of moulds: the old mould has 185 side teeth and the new mould has 170 side teeth. The casting quantity is large and it belongs to the ordinary circulation edition. The less-cast editions include: o-note edition, rough edition, triangular round edition, open shell edition, Gansu edition, Soviet edition, English signature edition, t-word edition and eagle ocean edition.

This three-year-old Yuan Datou is a rare wrong version of the English signature. It is still relatively well preserved. The whole body is covered with pulp to the marrow. It is old and natural. The font is regular and neat. It is handsome and elegant. It can be seen that the craftsman's carving technique is very exquisite and has extremely high investment value and collection value.