Item number: A1098

Year: AD 1909-1911

Material: Brass

Size: 19.0 x 18.7 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 1.95 g

Manufactured by: Bao Quan Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Xuantong Tongbao” coin, minted by the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi, during his reign. It holds the distinction of being the last coin in Chinese history to follow the traditional square-holed design. Despite severe erosion on both sides, the inscriptions are still discernible. The obverse side of the coin features the Chinese characters “Xuantong Tongbao” (宣統通寶) arranged in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. On the reverse side, the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ” (Bao Quan) is inscribed on the left and right sides.

In AD 1909, when the three-year-old Emperor Xuantong ascended the throne, the Qing Empire had already begun adopting Western-style machine-minting techniques, gradually phasing out traditional sand-casting and square-holed coinage. However, the Bao Quan Bureau in Beijing retained two workshops dedicated to producing these traditional coins. In AD 1911, the Xinhai Revolution erupted, forcing Puyi to abdicate, and this coin, bearing the Xuantong reign title, marked the end of China’s millennia-long imperial system.

物件編號: A1098

年代: 公元 1909-1911 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 19.0 x 18.7 x 1.0 mm

重量: 1.95 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

這是清朝末代皇帝溥儀以其年號鑄造的「宣統通寶」，為中國歷史上最後一枚按照方孔錢形制鑄造的錢幣。錢幣兩面皆有嚴重的磨蝕痕跡，但尚能辨別上面的文字。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左順序，依序鐫刻漢字「宣統通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側，依序鐫刻滿文「ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ」（寶泉）二字。

公元1909年，年僅三歲的宣統皇帝登基之際，彼時清帝國中央和各省已經採納西式的機械鑄幣法，逐漸淘汰舊有的翻砂和方孔錢工藝。但是位於帝都北京的寶泉局仍保有兩座方孔錢工坊，鑄造相關形制的錢幣。然而公元1911年，辛亥革命爆發旋即逼迫溥儀退位，使得這枚帶有宣統年號的方孔錢，也隨著中國長達上千年的帝制一同走入歷史。