Item number: A354-8

Year: AD 1661-1670

Material: Brass

Size: 26.8 x 26.8 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 3.9 g

Manufactured by: Jiangning Prefecture Bureau

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

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 Jiangning Prefecture Bureau in Jiangnan Province, which is located in present-day Nanjing.

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.

The reverse side of this coin also features a square hole at its centre, with Manchu script “ᠨᡳᠩ” on the left side and the Chinese character “Ning” inscribed on the right side, indicating the place of minting. Due to the passage of time, the upper right part of the reverse side has suffered significant wear, making the characters appear unclear.

After the Qing Empire conquered the Central Plains, Jiangning Prefecture (modern-day Nanjing), which had served as the former capital of the Ming dynasty, became a crucial military stronghold for controlling the southern regions and a vital economic hub. Therefore, in the 3rd year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1646), the Qing court established the “Jiangning Prefecture Bureau,” abbreviated as “Bao Ning Bureau,” to oversee coin minting in the area.

Following Kangxi’s ascension to the throne in the 18th year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1661), the Bao Ning Bureau, along with other regional mints, received coin samples and began minting Kangxi Tongbao coins. Despite the central government’s directive in the 1st year of Kangxi (AD 1662) to close most regional mints to control the currency supply, Jiangning Prefecture, as a key military garrison, was the only local mint permitted to continue operations.

In the 6th year of Kangxi (AD 1667), Jiangnan Province was divided into Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, and the Bao Ning Bureau came under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province. However, in the 9th year of Kangxi (AD 1670), the Bao Ning Bureau was ordered to cease its minting activities.

In the 61st year of Kangxi (AD 1722), the Ministry of Revenue decided to retain only one mint per province, designating the Bao Su Bureau in Suzhou as the representative mint for Jiangsu Province. Consequently, the Bao Ning Bureau was officially closed and faded into history.

物件編號: A354-8

年代: 公元 1661-1670 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.8 x 26.8 x 0.7 mm

重量: 3.9 g

製造地: 江寧府局

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

此硬幣為清朝第三任皇帝康熙年間(公元1661-1722年)，於江南省江寧府，即今日位於南京的鑄錢局鑄造之流通貨幣「康熙通寶」。

錢幣呈圓形，中間有一方孔，主要材質為黃銅。錢幣外觀為一雙同心圓，外圓呈黃銅色，光滑無圖案；內圓鐫字部分呈黑褐色。正面的內圓以方孔為中心，於上、下、右、左處以楷書依序鐫刻「康熙通寶」四字。背面亦以方孔為中心，於其左右兩側，分別以滿文「ᠨᡳᠩ」和漢文「寧」鐫刻鑄造地。由於時代久遠，背面右上角部分已有嚴重磨蝕，使得文字看起來不甚清晰。

清帝國征服中原後，過去作為明故都的江寧府(今 南京)，不僅是帝國控制南方的重要軍事要邑，還是支撐經濟的重要命脈。故於順治3年(公元1646年)，清廷於當地設立「江寧府局」，簡稱為「寶寧局」負責鑄幣。當康熙於順治18年(公元1661年)登基後，寶寧局在內的各地方鑄錢局收到樣本，開爐鑄造康熙通寶。即便隔年的康熙元年(公元1662年)，中央為管制錢幣大舉關閉各地的鑄錢局。但作為重要駐防地的江寧府，成為唯一得以許可持續鑄幣的地方鑄錢局。

康熙6年(公元1667年)，江南省被劃分為安徽和江蘇兩省，寶寧局歸於江蘇省管轄。不過在康熙9年(公元1670年)，寶寧局受旨停止其鑄幣業務。康熙61年(公元1772年)，戶部中央拍板各省僅保留一座鑄錢局的政策下，江蘇省確立以蘇州的「寶蘇局」作為代表，寶寧局就此走入歷史。