Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Qing Dynasty,
Yongzheng Tongbao,
Bao Zhe Bureau
清 雍正通寶 寶浙局造
Item number: A635
Year: AD 1723-1733
Material: Brass
Size: 27.0 x 26.8 x 1.1 mm
Weight: 5.05 g
Manufactured by: Bao Zhe Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is the “Yongzheng Tongbao,” a square-holed coin issued by the Bao Zhe Bureau in Zhejiang Province during the reign of the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the Yongzheng Emperor, who ruled from AD 1722 to AD 1735.
The outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole of the coin are well-defined. The inner rim of the obverse is engraved with the four Chinese characters “Yongzheng Tongbao.” The inner rim of the reverse is inscribed with the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡝ” (Bao Zhe).
The Bao Zhe Bureau was initially established in the 6th year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1649) under the administration of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. It was originally named the “Zhejiang Provincial Bureau” but was later renamed during the Yongzheng period when minting factories were uniformly designated with the character “Bao” in their names. During the Qing Dynasty, currency was issued by various regional mints, and measures such as adding or closing mints and reducing the number of furnaces were used to control the circulation of currency. Due to insufficient copper production in Zhejiang, the operations of the Bao Je Bureau were intermittent.