Item number: A1129

Year: AD 1850-1861

Material: Brass

Size: 18.5 x 18.6 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 2.45 g

Manufactured by: Bao Zhe Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Xianfeng Tongbao” coin minted during the Xianfeng era, produced by the Bao Zhe Bureau located in Zhejiang, with a composition of brass. The coin follows the typical square-holed format, and the obverse features the Chinese characters “Xianfeng Tongbao” inscribed in a clockwise order from top, bottom, right, and left. On the reverse, the Manchu characters “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡝ” (Bao Zhe) are engraved on the left and right sides, indicating its place of minting in Zhejiang.

Compared to other coins in the collection, the inscriptions on both sides of this coin appear finer. Due to corrosion and the accumulation of patina, it is somewhat challenging to discern the characters at first glance.

The Xianfeng period was one of the most chaotic times for Qing dynasty coinage, primarily due to the rapid spread of the Taiping Rebellion, which created an urgent need for military funding to suppress the uprising. In response, Emperor Xianfeng accelerated the production of currency by issuing coins with large denominations and reopening or establishing new mints that had been long inactive. As a result, the number of mints during the Xianfeng era reached 28, producing coins with denominations ranging from smaller values of four cash to as high as one thousand cash. This rapid expansion, however, also led to severe inflation within the empire.

物件編號: A1129

年代: 公元 1850-1861 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 18.5 x 18.6 x 1.2 mm

重量: 2.45 g

製造地: 寶浙局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚咸豐年間，位於浙江的「寶浙局」負責鑄造的「咸豐通寶」，材質為黃銅。錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，正面按上、下、右、左順序，依序鐫刻漢字「咸豐通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側鐫刻滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡝ」(寶浙)，代表其鑄造地點為浙江。

這枚錢幣相較本館收藏的其他錢幣，其正反兩面的文字較為纖細，且由於侵蝕和包漿的緣故，使得第一眼要辨識出文字稍有難度。

咸豐年間為清朝錢幣最為混亂的時期，主要原因是太平天國之亂的迅速蔓延，使得朝廷亟需軍費以平定叛亂。咸豐為加快籌錢的速度，一面鑄造大面額的錢幣，一面增設或恢復停工已久的鑄錢局，使得咸豐時期的鑄錢局達到28間，面額從較小的四文到一千文不等，卻也導致國內面臨嚴重的通貨膨脹。