Item number: A754

Year: AD 1796-1820

Material: Copper

Size: 21.4 x 21.2 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 2.1 g

Manufactured by: Bao Qian Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Jiaqing Tongbao” coin minted during the Jiaqing period at the Bao Qian Bureau in Guiyang, Guizhou Province. The coin has a typical square-hole shape and is made of copper. The obverse features the inscription “Jiaqing Tongbao” in Chinese characters, arranged in a clockwise order, although it exhibits significant wear, the characters remain identifiable. The reverse sides display the Manchu characters “ᠪᠣᡠ ᡴᡳᠠᠨ” (Bao Qian), indicating the minting authority, although their recognition requires careful observation due to the coin’s condition. This coin weighs only 2.1 g, suggesting that it was likely minted privately by individuals in the community.

The Bao Qian Bureau was established in the sixth year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1667). It was ordered to permanently cease minting at the end of the Qianlong period, but operations resumed when Jiaqing ascended to the throne. The copper and lead required for minting coins at the Baoqian Bureau were sourced locally from the nearby Yunnan Province and within Guizhou itself, allowing for greater profitability in coin production compared to other provinces.

After Jiaqing ascended to the throne following his father Qianlong’s abdication, he faced a massive financial crisis left behind by his predecessor. To address this, Jiaqing allowed the continued use of silver by the populace while simultaneously working to improve the quality of minted coins. As a result, the quality of “Jiaqing Tongbao” coins was notably superior and more standardised compared to the coins minted during the later years of Qianlong’s reign, with the weight officially set at 1 Mace 2 Candareens.

However, Jiaqing’s financial reforms were disrupted by frequent uprisings led by secret societies such as the White Lotus and Tianli sects. These disturbances undermined his efforts, leading to widespread private minting and even official adulteration of coinage, which in turn caused rampant inflation. In response, Jiaqing issued an edict permitting provinces lacking copper resources to suspend coin production. If they were to continue minting coins, the weight had to be strictly maintained at 1 Mace 2 Candareens. Consequently, many provinces ceased production, leading to a reduction in the circulation of copper coins and a subsequent stabilisation of prices.

物件編號: A754

年代: 公元 1796-1820 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 21.4 x 21.2 x 0.7 mm

重量: 2.1 g

製造地: 寶黔局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚嘉慶年間，位於貴州省貴陽的寶黔局鑄造之「嘉慶通寶」。錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為紅銅。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻漢字「嘉慶通寶」四字，雖然有嚴重的磨蝕但尚能辨識。錢幣背面的左右兩側，以滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᡴᡳᠠᠨ」(寶黔) 兩字標示鑄造單位。這枚錢幣重量僅有2.1克，故推測為民間私下所鑄造。

寶黔局成立於康熙6年(公元1667年)，於乾隆末年一度遭下令永遠停鑄，直到嘉慶繼位才再度復工。由於寶黔局鑄造錢幣所需的銅和鉛，就近從鄰近的雲南和本省境內生產，故其鑄錢的利潤較其他省份來得多。

嘉慶接受父親乾隆的禪讓登基為皇帝之後，面對父親留下的龐大財務危機，嘉慶一面聽任民眾使用白銀，另一方面整頓鑄幣的品質，使得嘉慶通寶的品質較乾隆末期的錢幣來得精美和規範，重量規定為一錢二分。然而嘉慶年間，國內頻繁出現白蓮教和天理教等祕密結社的叛亂，使得嘉慶的金融整頓努力只得半途而廢，各地又出現私鑄和官方偷工減料使得物價飛漲。這些因素迫使嘉慶上諭，缺乏銅礦的省份得以自行停鑄，若要繼續鑄幣則重量需要足一錢二分。因此各省紛紛停鑄，使得市面上的銅錢數量減少，方才使物價逐漸回穩。