Item number: A413

Year: AD 1906

Material: Bronze

Size: 16.4 x 16.4 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 1.2 g

Manufactured by: Guangdong, Canton Mint

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a coin from the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1906). Governor Cen Chunxuan, sensing the shortage of bronze coins in circulation, decided to instruct the Canton mint to restart the production line of “Guangxu Tongbao” to alleviate the currency shortage. On the obverse of the coin, the characters “Guangxu Tongbao” are inscribed in the sequence “top, bottom, right, left.” On the reverse, centred around the square hole, the Manchu characters “Bao Guang” are inscribed on either side.

The coin maintains the traditional Chinese square-holed design, with the central round hole punched mechanically. However, due to the quality limitations of machinery at the time, the hole-punching machines often required frequent replacement, leading to low production efficiency and high costs. This accelerated the phase-out of square-holed coins.

In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1900), the Canton mint, in accordance with the Emperor’s decree, minted Guangxu Tongbao coins with the characters “Bao Guang” on the reverse. However, due to the soaring price of copper ore, the weight of the coins was reduced from the original 1 Mace to 8 Candareens, and subsequently further reduced to 6 Candareens. In the same year, Guangdong temporarily halted the production line of Guangxu Tongbao coins and instead imitated the neighbouring British Hong Kong bronze coin, the “Cent.”

It wasn’t until the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1906) that Governor Cen Chunxuan, feeling the shortage of bronze coins in circulation, resumed the production of square-holed Guangxu Tongbao coins. However, the weight was reduced to 3.2 Candareens (1.2 g).

物件編號: A413

年代: 公元 1906 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 16.4 x 16.4 x 0.8 mm

重量: 1.2 g

製造地: 廣東, 廣東錢局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚光緒32年(公元1906年)，時任總督的岑春煊有感市面銅元缺乏，決定委由廣東錢局重啟「光緒通寶」生產線以彌補貨幣的不足。錢幣正面按「上、下、右、左」順序，鐫刻「光緒通寶」四字。錢幣背面以方孔為基準，左右兩側以滿文鐫刻「寶廣」兩字。

錢幣外觀沿襲中國傳統的方孔錢形制，中間的圓孔以機械加壓鑿孔。礙於當時的機器品質，往往鑿孔機器每日就要更換數次，導致生產效率低落和成本過高的問題，加快方孔錢被淘汰的步伐。

光緒26年(公元1900年)，廣東錢局按照皇帝上諭，鑄造背面帶有「寶廣」兩字的光緒通寶。另一方面，礙於銅礦價格的高漲，錢幣重量從原先的一錢縮水為八分，甚至後續還縮水至六分。同一年，廣東仿造相鄰的英屬香港銅仙硬幣，暫時關閉光緒通寶的生產線。直到光緒32年(公元1906年)，時任總督的岑春煊有感市面銅元不足，重新鑄造光緒通寶方孔錢，不過重量縮減至三分二釐(1.2克)。