Qing Dynasty,

Guangxu Yuanbao,

10 Cash, Ching-Kiang

(Big Circle & Water Dragon Version)

清 光緒元寶

十文 清江造

(大圈&水龍版)

Item number: A444

Year: AD 1905-1906

Material: Copper

Size: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 7.0 g

Manufactured by: Tsing-Kiang Copper Coin Bureau, Huai’an

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a Guangxu Yuanbao coin minted between the 31st and 32nd years of Guangxu’s reign (AD 1905-AD 1906) by the “Tsing-Kiang Copper Coin Bureau,” organised by the Governor-General in charge of transportation, Lu Yuanding. It is the only mint not named after a province or administrative region. Although the Tsing-Kiang Copper Coin Bureau existed for less than a year, it produced over 740 million coins in at least 36 different varieties.

The central motif on the obverse side of the coin features a water dragon emerging from the water and breathing fire. There should be small five-petal flowers on both sides to demarcate the upper and lower edges, with the English phonetic transcription “CHING-KIANG” separating them. However, due to the passage of time, the details around the periphery of the coin are no longer visible, with only the letter “C” in the upper left corner barely discernible. The dragon motif on the obverse side has two versions: “water dragon” and “flying dragon,” with this coin being the former.

The reverse side of the coin features a beaded circle, categorised into three sizes: big, medium, and small, with this coin being the “big circle” version. Within the beaded rim, there are the four characters “Guangxu Yuanbao” written in regular script, along with a six-petal flower motif. On the outer periphery, the characters “Tsing Kiang” appear on both the left and right sides. The top edge bears the inscription “Guangxu Yuanbao” in Manchu script, while the bottom edge indicates the denomination as “Ten Cash.”

The Tsing-Kiang Copper Coin Bureau was in Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province. Since the Sui Dynasty, when the Grand Canal connecting the north and south was excavated, Huai’an became an important commercial hub. Following the Ming Dynasty’s system, the Qing Dynasty dispatched a Grand Canal Governor to oversee related affairs in the area, responsible for warehouses, shipping, shipbuilding, and other businesses.

In May of the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1904), Governor Lu Yuanding submitted a report reflecting the lack of currency in the area affecting commercial transactions. The request to establish a mint in the area was approved by the court. In February of the following year, with the successful installation of British machinery imported through Shanghai, the establishment of the “Tsing-Kiang Copper Coin Bureau” was officially announced.

However, in September of the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1906), due to the collapse in prices caused by various provinces casting copper coins, the court requested the merger of the Tsing-Kiang Bureau into the Kiang-Nan Bureau in Nanjing, thus marking the end of its history.

物件編號: A444

年代: 公元 1905-1906 年

材料: 紅銅

尺寸: 27.8 x 27.8 x 1.3 mm

重量: 7.0 g

製造地: 清江銅元局,淮安

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31至32年(公元1905至1906年)間,主持漕運的總督陸元鼎籌辦的「清江銅元局」鑄造之「光緒元寶」西式銅元,為唯一非由省份或行政區命名的造幣廠。清江銅元局歷時雖不滿一年,其鑄幣數量為7億4千萬餘枚,卻留下至少36種不同版型。

錢幣正面的中央,是一隻躍出水面和口吐火球的水龍。外圍的左右兩側,理當各有一枚小朵的五瓣花為分界線,區隔上下緣以英文拼音的「清江」(CHING-KIANG)字樣。惜因年代久遠,硬幣外圍的細節全不復可見,僅能勉強識別左上角的字母「C」。正面的龍圖騰有「水龍」和「飛龍」兩種版本,該錢幣為前者。

錢幣背面有一道珠圈,按照大小分為「大圈、中圈和小圈」三種類型,該物件為「大圈」版本。珠圈內有楷書書寫的「光緒元寶」四字和六瓣花飾。外圍的左右兩側有「清江」兩字,上緣是滿文標示的「光緒元寶」,下緣則是面額「當制錢十文」字樣。

清江銅元局位於江蘇省淮安市,自隋朝開鑿連通南北的大運河後,淮安就成為重要的商業集散地。清朝沿襲明朝的舊例,於當地派遣漕運總督掌管相關業務,主責倉儲、航運和造船等業務。光緒30年(公元1904年) 5月,擔任總督的陸元鼎上奏反映當地缺乏貨幣影響商業來往,獲得朝廷批准在當地設立造幣廠。隔年2月,透過上海洋行進口的英國機器順利安裝,正式宣告「清江銅元局」成立。不過在光緒32年(公元1906年) 9月,由於各省相繼鑄造銅元導致價格崩跌,朝廷要求清江局整併入南京的江寧局就此走入歷史。

類似/相同物件 請看:

中國 國家博物館 National Museum of China

https://www.chnmuseum.cn/zp/zpml/hb/202106/t20210610_250331.shtml

中國 上海博物館 Shanghai Museum

https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/frontend/pg/lib1/antique?page=2&viewType=list&libTypeSort=&libAgeSort=&libTypes=LIB_TYPE_0003&libAges=LIB_AGE_0022&searchText=%E6%B8%85%E6%B1%9F

更多相關訊息請參考:

周沁園、李平文 編,《中國機制銅元目錄》(上海:上海科學技術出版社,2021)

黃成,〈機末銅元制度述評〉,《杭州市:杭州大學學報》,(1993),頁76-85

賀傳芳、李銀、王惠毓,〈光緒年間清江十文銅元版式演變初探〉,《北京市:中國錢幣》,(2012),頁60-63

孫浩,〈清江浦”江北鑄幣局”二三事〉,《北京市:中國錢幣》,(2015),頁3-8

郭琪,〈清江十文銅元版式演化初探〉,《北京市:中國錢幣》,(2017),頁14-18

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG114929

https://www.britnumsoc.org/images/BIOGRAPHIES/2022-02-08/2/P-T/Sealy-DLF-b1933-TBC-002.pdf

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