光绪元宝是大清光绪年流通大面值货币之首，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。北洋造光绪元宝是有北洋银元局铸造的，北洋银元局的前身为北洋机器局，是中国早期的现代化兵工厂，由北洋三口通商大臣崇厚等人与1867年创办，1870年有李鸿章接办。光绪十三年，李鸿章创建附属于北洋机器局地机器铸钱局（宝津局），铸造机制币，之后有一段时间停铸，直到光绪二十五年，清政府又准许北洋机器局继续铸造银币，并更名为北洋银元局，其后铸造的银币改为“北洋造”。
Guangxu Yuanbao is the first currency of large face value in the Qing dynasty. It is the first issued currency to introduce overseas technology in China and has a certain historical significance for today. Beiyang's creation of Guangxu Yuanbao was cast by the Beiyang Silver Dollar Bureau. The predecessor of the Beiyang Silver Dollar Bureau was the Beiyang Machinery Bureau. It was an early modern arsenal in China. It was founded by Beiyang Sankou Minister of Commerce Chonghou and others in 1867. In 1870, Li Hongzhang took over. In the thirteenth year of Guangxu, Li Hongzhang established the Bureau of Machine Casting Money(Baojin Bureau) attached to the Beiyang Machinery Bureau to cast machine coins. After a period of time, he stopped casting until Guangxu twenty-five years. The Qing government allowed the Beiyang Machinery Bureau to continue casting silver coins., and changed its name to Beiyang Silver Yuan Bureau, The silver coin that was later cast was changed to "Northern Creation."
北洋铸造的这一系列银币由于不便于流通使用，铸造发行量不多，历经百年存世量也随着稀少起来，属于珍稀银元。此枚光绪元宝北洋造钱币其包浆自然，字体端正，此蟠龙图案，眼神灵异炯炯有神，龙鳞排列细密有致且珍珠纹粒粒无虚无粘，龙爪张扬，遒劲有力。边齿标准，圈齿凸起，颗粒清晰，地章平整，光滑如板，像这枚钱币目前市场存世也是十分罕见，其原因也是因为本来在世流通时间已久，且经历了战火纷飞的年代和外国侵略者的虐夺。有的已被收缴进了国库，有的被销毁熔铸，有的流落异国他乡，因此造就了物已稀为贵的现象。市场稀缺，稀有珍贵，具有相当高的收藏价值。。
