Item number: A720

Year: AD 1796-1820

Material: Copper

Size: 21.1 x 21.1 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 2.5 g

Manufactured by: Bao Su Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Jiaqing Tongbao” coin minted by the Baosu Bureau in Jiangsu Province during the Jiaqing period. The coin features a typical square-hole design and is made of copper, with damage evident along the edges. On the front, the characters “Jiaqing Tongbao” are inscribed in a sequence from top to bottom and left to right. The reverse side displays the Manchu characters “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᡠ” (Bao Su), indicating the minting unit. Weighing only 2.5 g, this coin may have been privately minted by individuals.

The Bao Su Bureau was established in the 7th year of the Kangxi era (AD 1668) and experienced periods of operation and suspension during the Qianlong to Daoguang eras, later being occupied by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It resumed production after the Taiping forces were defeated, continuing until the late Guangxu era. The “Jiaqing Tongbao” coins minted during the Jiaqing period feature a wide variety of Manchu inscriptions on their reverse side.

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: A720

年代: 公元 1796-1820 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 21.1 x 21.1 x 0.9 mm

重量: 2.5 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

這是一枚嘉慶年間，江蘇省的寶蘇局鑄造的「嘉慶通寶」。錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為紅銅，邊緣有缺口的破損。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻漢字「嘉慶通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側，以滿文「ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᡠ」(寶蘇) 兩字標示鑄造單位。這枚錢幣重量僅有2.5克，故可能為民間私下所鑄。

寶蘇局成立於康熙7年(公元1668年)，於乾隆至道光年間時開時停，後續一度遭到太平天國佔領。直到太平天國被消滅後，才重新投入生產，直到光緒末年結束營運為止。嘉慶年間鑄造的嘉慶通寶，其背後的滿文版型十分多樣種類繁多。

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。