Item number: A529

Year: AD 1887-1900

Material: Brass

Size: 21.0 x 20.7 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 2.35 g

Manufactured by: Bao Jin Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin is a “Guangxu Tongbao” minted by the Bao Jin Bureau in Tianjin. The Bao Jin Bureau marked a new chapter in Chinese minting technology, representing a transitional point from the traditional casting method to the mechanised minting method. However, during the early stages of minting, the Bao Jin Bureau retained the old recasting method. This Guangxu Tongbao coin was minted using this traditional method.

The coin is a square-holed cash coin, adhering to the traditional Chinese concept of “round heaven and square earth.” The obverse features a central square hole with the four characters “Guangxu Tongbao” inscribed in regular script around it. The reverse also has a central square hole, flanked by the Manchu characters “Bao Jin,” indicating that it was produced by the Bao Jin Bureau. The colour and finish of both sides of the coin are uneven, and there are even some imperfections along the edges. Compared to mechanised coins, the craftsmanship of this coin is relatively coarse.

The Bao Jin Bureau was established during the Qing Dynasty’s Self-Strengthening Movement, as part of a series of modernisation measures. It represented a significant stage in the transition of minting techniques to mechanised production. In the 12th year of Guangxu (AD 1886), Prince Yixuan and others petitioned the court to establish a mechanised minting factory. The following year, the Bao Jin Bureau was founded, under the jurisdiction of the the Tianjin Arsenal.

Due to the initial lack of advanced mechanised technology, the coins minted by the Bao Jin Bureau, including the Guangxu Tongbao, were produced using both the old and new methods. Nevertheless, the Bao Jin Bureau symbolised the beginning of mechanised coin production. Its significance is comparable to that of the Guangdong Mint, established in AD 1889 to produce new silver dollars, both assuming the mission of mechanised coinage.

Although this Guangxu Tongbao coin was not minted using machinery, it represents a trace of traditional craftsmanship on the path toward mechanised coinage.

物件編號: A529

年代: 公元 1887-1900 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 21.0 x 20.7 x 0.9 mm

重量: 2.35 g

製造地: 寶津局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這枚錢幣是由天津寶津局所鑄造的「光緒通寶」。寶津局為中國製幣技術開啟新的篇章，為磨鑄法向機制法的轉捩點。不過，寶津局在鑄錢初期，仍保留舊法翻鑄的方法，這枚光緒通寶，即是以舊法鑄造的錢幣。

這枚錢幣是一方孔錢錢幣，整體形制符合傳統天圓地方的觀念。該錢幣正面的中央有一方孔，幣面四周有楷書「光緒通寶」四字對讀。錢幣反面的中央亦有一方孔，幣面兩側則有滿文「寶津」字樣，表示為「寶津局」所製。錢幣正反面的成色皆不均勻，甚至在邊緣處還有些瑕疵，此相較機制錢幣，工藝略為粗糙。

「寶津局」是清朝自強運動時期，一系列洋務措施的其中一環，是製幣技術向機器鑄造過渡的重要階段。光緒12年(公元1886年)，醇親王奕譞等人奏請朝廷設立機鑄錢幣工廠，隨即於隔年成立寶津局，並隸屬於天津機器製造局。

然而，由於起初機製技術未見精良，因此寶津局所鑄光緒通寶，含有舊法和新法鑄造的錢幣。儘管如此，寶津局仍然象徵機鑄錢幣的先河，其重要性不遜於公元1889年，為鑄造新式銀元所成立的廣東錢局，皆承擔機制錢幣的使命。

這枚光緒通寶錢幣，雖然不是採機器鑄造，但在通往機制錢幣的路上，可謂保留傳統工法的影跡。