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Qing Dynasty,
Qianlong Tongbao,
Bao Yuan Bureau
(Privately Minted Version 1)
清
乾隆通寶
寶源局造
(私鑄一版)
Item number: A532
Year: AD 1735-1796
Material: Brass
Size: 23.3 x 23.3 x 1.2 mm
Weight: 4.3 g
Manufactured by: Bao Yuan Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Qianlong Tongbao,” a square-holed coin issued by the Bao Yuan Bureau under the administration of the Ministry of Works during the reign of Yongzheng, the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, from AD 1735 to AD 1796.
The coin’s outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole are well-defined. On the obverse side, the inner rim is inscribed with the four Chinese characters “Qianlong Tongbao”(乾隆通寶). However, the strokes of these characters are rigid, lacking the aesthetic grace typically associated with calligraphy. On the reverse side, the inner rim bears the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ” (Bao Yuan), with all strokes uniformly thick.
This copper coin shows minimal signs of wear, suggesting it may have been recast from a mother coin. There are no irregularities in its weight or dimensions. Notably, remnants of ancient sand casting can be observed, such as the grainy, uneven surface within the coin’s rim. However, the script on both the obverse and reverse sides lacks the calligraphic style typical of the Qing Dynasty; the strokes are sharp and uniform, resembling modern penmanship rather than the traditional variation in thickness found in calligraphy. Given the prevalence of private minting during the Qianlong period and these observations, it is likely that this Qianlong Tongbao is a privately minted coin.
After the Manchus entered China and established the Qing Empire, they continued the Ming Empire’s practise of managing coinage through two central agencies: the Bao Quan Bureau and the Bao Yuan Bureau. The former was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for financial and tax matters, while the latter was overseen by the Ministry of Works, primarily responsible for construction. The highest-ranking official of the Bao Yuan Bureau was the Han Chinese Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. The bureau was primarily established to cover the Ministry of Works’ construction expenses, and its actual status was lower compared to the Bao Quan Bureau. Any surplus coins produced by the Bao Yuan Bureau had to be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue, which managed the Bao Quan Bureau.
In the early Qianlong period, silver was less valuable compared to copper coins, with the exchange rate sometimes falling below 700 copper coins for one tael of silver (the Qing Dynasty established that “each thousand copper coins is equivalent to one tael of silver”). To stabilise the price of copper coins, the Qing government used the Bao Yuan Bureau to pay in copper coins for government projects, thereby increasing their availability in the market. Even though the government minted a large quantity of copper coins in an effort to stabilize prices, the circulation and supply of copper coins still fell short of market demand. This led to practises such as hoarding and private minting and trading of copper coins for profit.
Although private minting was extensive, it did not severely impact the exchange rate between silver and copper coins. Instead, it helped mitigate the trade difficulties caused by the shortage of official coins. As a result, the Qing government did not take strict action against private minting during the early years of the Qianlong reign. It was only in the later years, once the price of copper coins had stabilised, that the government began to collect privately minted coins from the market and replace them with officially minted ones.