Item number: A741

Year: AD 1735-1796

Material: Brass

Size: 22.1 x 22.0 x 0.5 mm

Weight: 1.95 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 and inner rims, central square hole, and inscriptions of the coin are all severely worn. 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).

In the Qing Dynasty, most coins did not explicitly indicate their denominations but were distinguished by size and weight. The typical cash had a diameter ranging from 24.2 to 28.0 mm and weighed between 3.8 and 4.2 g. This Qianlong Tongbao coin, however, has a diameter of 22.1 mm and weighs only 1.95 g. Given the significant prevalence of private minting during the Qianlong period, it is speculated that this coin may be a privately minted piece.

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 (江蘇), and Daoguang periods, the bureau’s operations were sporadic, halting completely when Tianjing (天京) 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 mace, 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.

物件編號: A741

年代: 公元 1735-1796 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 22.1 x 22.0 x 0.5 mm

重量: 1.95 g

製造地: 寶蘇局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第六任皇帝乾隆在位期間(公元1735至1796年)，由江蘇省所設立「寶蘇局」發行之「乾隆通寶」，其外觀為方孔錢。

錢幣外廓、內廓和中央的方孔、文字皆磨損嚴重。正面的內廓鐫刻漢字「乾隆通寶」四字，背面的內廓則鐫刻滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠰᡠ」（寶蘇）二字。

清代的錢幣大多不會特別標示面額，僅用大小與重量作為區別，一般的小平錢大小為24.2 ~ 28.0 mm、重量為3.8 ~ 4.2 g，而此枚乾隆通寶的尺寸為22.1 mm，重量僅有1.95 g。由於乾隆時期私鑄幣現象十分嚴重，因此推測可能為私鑄幣。

「寶蘇局」的建立是在康熙7年（公元1688年）奉詔建立江蘇省後，由當時任職江蘇布政史的佟彭年負責。然因該地少銅，滇銅運送往返需三年，寶蘇局造幣間間斷斷，直到雍正8年（公元1730年）恢復鑄造。後續乾隆、嘉慶、道光年間寶蘇局時開時停，直到太平天國導致天京淪陷後，才再次開啟直到光緒末年。

乾隆年間，江蘇為了杜絕私鑄，將雍正朝前重量的定制從1.2錢改為較輕的錢。民間不肖商人將政府發行1.2錢或1.4錢的銅幣，改住品質較輕的劣幣。因此江蘇的布政使奏請希望能將銅錢的重量從1.2錢改為1錢，以抑制私鑄幣的情形。