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,
Qianlong Tongbao,
Bao Su Bureau
(Chinese Script Version 1)
清
乾隆通寶
寶蘇局造
(漢字體一版)
Item number: A682
Year: AD 1735-1796
Material: Brass
Size: 24.7 x 24.5 x 1.0 mm
Weight: 3.75 g
Manufactured by: Bao Su Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Qianlong Tongbao” coin issued by the Bao Su Bureau in Jiangsu Province during the reign of the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty, Emperor Qianlong, who ruled from AD 1735 to AD 1796. The coin is of the square-holed variety.
The outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole of the coin are well-defined. The inner contour on the obverse is inscribed with the four Chinese characters “Qianlong Tongbao” (乾隆通寶), while the reverse is engraved with the Manchu characters “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠰᡠ” (Bao Su). Compared to another Qianlong Tongbao coin minted by the Bao Su Bureau in the museum’s collection, the four characters “乾隆通寶” on this coin are remarkably upright and elegant, displaying a distinct calligraphic beauty.
The “Bao Su Bureau” was established in the 7th year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1688) following an imperial edict after the creation of Jiangsu Province. It was overseen by Tong Pengnian (佟彭年), who was then serving as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Jiangsu. However, due to a shortage of copper in the region and the fact that transporting Tián copper (滇銅copper from Yunan) took three years round trip, minting at the Bao Su Bureau was intermittent. Coin production resumed in the 8th year of the Yongzheng reign (AD 1730). During the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang periods, the bureau’s operations were sporadic, halting completely when Tianjing fell during the Taiping Rebellion, after which minting resumed and continued until the end of the Guangxu era.
During the Qianlong period, Jiangsu Province sought to curb illegal minting by reducing the standard weight of copper coins from 1.2 qian, as established during the Yongzheng reign, to a lighter weight. Unscrupulous merchants took advantage of this by altering government-issued copper coins, originally weighing 1.2 mace or 1.4 mace, to produce lower-quality, lighter coins. In response, the Provincial Governor of Jiangsu submitted a petition requesting that the weight of copper coins be officially reduced from 1.2 mace to 1 mace in order to suppress the circulation of privately minted coins.