Item number: A642-2

Year: AD 1722-1735

Material: Brass

Size: 26.9 x 26.9 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 5.3 g

Manufactured by: Bao Quan Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Yongzheng Tongbao” coin issued by the Bao Quan Bureau, the central institution responsible for distributing military salaries during the reign of the fifth Qing Dynasty emperor, Yongzheng (AD 1722-AD 1735).

The coin’s outer and inner borders, as well as the central square hole, are well-defined. The obverse side features the four Chinese characters “Yongzheng Tongbao” inscribed in regular script within the inner border. On the reverse side, the inner border contains the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᡳᡠᠸᠠᠨ”(Boo Quwan), indicating the Bao Quan Bureau.

Since Emperor Shunzhi entered Beijing, the Baoquan Bureau, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, has been the most important minting unit of the Qing Dynasty. In AD 1722, after the death of Emperor Kangxi, the Baoquan Bureau immediately began minting coins with the new emperor Yongzheng’s reign title. During his reign, Emperor Yongzheng implemented several reforms to strengthen the country’s finances, focusing particularly on the Bao Quan Bureau.

For instance, to centralise power and reduce deficits, Yongzheng needed ample funds to support his reforms. Thus, in the fourth year of Yongzheng’s reign (AD 1726), he significantly increased the minting capacity of the Bao Quan Bureau, expanding it from one workshop to four and dispersing the furnaces to minimise fire damage. During Kangxi’s reign, copper for minting coins was often imported from Japan, leading to frequent delays and high costs. In response, Yongzheng vigorously developed copper mines in Yunnan and Guizhou to reduce the cost of coin production.

Additionally, recognising that frequent changes in coin standards during Kangxi’s reign had caused market confusion, Yongzheng standardised the weight and material of the coins. He fixed the weight at 1 Mace 2 Candareens, thereby resolving the issue of differing weights causing difficulties in the circulation of goods.

物件編號: A642-2

年代: 公元 1722-1735 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.9 x 26.9 x 1.1 mm

重量: 5.3 g

製造地: 寶泉局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第五任皇帝雍正在位期間(公元1722至1735年)，由負責發放兵餉的中央單位「寶泉局」發行之「雍正通寶」，其外觀為方孔錢。

錢幣的外廓、內廓和中央的方孔十分清晰。正面的內廓鐫刻漢字楷書「雍正通寶」四字，背面的內廓則有滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᡳᡠᠸᠠᠨ」（寶泉）二字。

自順治皇帝入關以來，隸屬於戶部管轄的寶泉局，即是清朝最重要的鑄錢單位。公元1722年，康熙皇帝駕崩以後，寶泉局隨即鑄造新任皇帝雍正年號的制錢。雍正皇帝在位期間為強化國家的財政，亦針對寶泉局進行過多次改革。例如，為了強化中央集權和減少虧空，雍正必須有充足的資金作為改革的後盾。因此雍正4年(公元1726年)，大幅增加寶泉局的鑄造能量，從一間工坊提升為四間，並且將火爐分散降低火災造成的損害。

而在康熙年間，鑄錢使用的銅料多從日本進口經常面臨拖欠和價格高昂的問題，雍正則大力開發雲南和貴州兩地的銅礦降低鑄幣所需的成本。同時有鑑於康熙年間，頻繁調整錢幣的規範造成市場混亂。雍正針對錢幣重量和材質進行規範，重量統一定為一錢二分，結束不同重量的錢幣造成商品流通困難的局面。