This coin was a circulating currency known as “Kangxi Tongbao,” minted during the reign of the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi, spanning from AD 1661 to AD 1722. It was produced at the coin mint in Guilin, the capital of Guangxi Province.
The coin is circular with a square hole in the center, primarily made of brass. The outer part of the coin forms two concentric circles, with the outer circle in a brass color, smooth and without any patterns. The inner circle on the obverse side, surrounding the square hole, features the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao” in regular script at the top, bottom, right, and left in sequence. On the reverse side, also centered around the square hole, both the left and right sides bear inscriptions in Manchu and Chinese characters, indicating the minting location as the abbreviated form “Gui” for Guangxi.
During the Kangxi era, in addition to the central mints “Baoquan Bureau” and “Baoyuan Bureau,” a total of 24 regional mints were established. In Guangxi province, coin minting during the Qing Dynasty began in the 7th year of Kangxi’s reign (AD 1668) with the establishment of the “Guilin Prefecture Bureau,” also known as “Baogui Bureau.” Initially, there were eight furnaces, and according to the regulations of the Ministry of Revenue, 25,760 strings of coins (with each string containing 1,000 coins) were minted annually. Production continued until the 11th year of Xianfeng’s reign (AD 1861).
During Kangxi’s 61-year reign, the “Guilin Prefecture Bureau” underwent three periods of operation and two periods of suspension. Operations commenced in the 7th year of Kangxi’s reign, suspended in the 9th year; started again in the 18th year, suspended in the 20th year; and finally resumed in the 22nd year, continuing until the 61st year. The minted coins were named “Kangxi Tongbao,” with a total of 1,184,960 strings. There were two varieties: one made of yellow brass with a composition of 70% red copper and 30% white lead, weighing 1 mace 4 candareens (5.3 g); the other weighing 1 mace (3.25 g) with a composition of 60% red copper and 40% white lead, minted from the 22nd to the 40th year of Kangxi’s reign.
