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
Guangxu Tongbao
Bao Hu Bureau
(Small coin & Privately Minted Version)
清 光緒通寶
寶湖局造
(私鑄版小錢)
Item number: A602
Year: AD 1887-1900
Material: Brass
Size: 20.9 x 19.9 x 0.7 mm
Weight: 1.75 g
Manufactured by: Bao Hu Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This coin was minted by the Bao Hu Bureau in Jiangxi and is identified as a “Guangxu Tongbao.” The coin exhibits significant surface damage, and its weight is also less than the standard for Guangxu Tongbao coins.
It is a square-holed coin, with the obverse side featuring a central square hole surrounded by the faintly visible characters “Guangxu Tongbao.” There is a noticeable notch on the lower right part of the outer rim. The reverse side also has a square hole at the centre, with Manchu script on either side reading “Bao Hu,” indicating its production by the Bao Hu Bureau in Jiangxi. Both sides of the coin display numerous scratches.
Although the reverse side bears the official mint mark “Bao Hu Bureau,” the coin’s weight is significantly lower than the officially prescribed standard, and the inscriptions are somewhat blurred. These factors raise the possibility that the coin may have been privately minted. If it were an official standard coin, the inscriptions would generally be clearly recast, and the weight would not deviate significantly from the standard.