Item number: A647

Year: AD 1796-1820

Material: Copper

Size: 20.3 x 20.2 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 1.9 g

Manufactured by: Bao Zhe Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Jiaqing Tongbao” coin, minted during the Jiaqing period by the Bao Zhe Bureau in Zhejiang Province. The coin follows the typical format of a square-holed coin and is made of copper. The obverse side of the coin bears the four Chinese characters “Jiaqing Tongbao,” inscribed in sequence from top, bottom, right, to left. However, due to severe erosion, the inscription has become unclear. The reverse side displays the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡝ” (Bao Zhe) on the left and right, indicating the minting authority, though the characters are also difficult to discern. The coin weighs only 1.9 g, suggesting it was likely minted privately.

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: A647

年代: 公元 1796-1820 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 20.3 x 20.2 x 0.8 mm

重量: 1.9 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

這是一枚嘉慶年間，浙江省的寶浙局鑄造的「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，然而經過嚴重的磨蝕使得銘文不甚清楚。錢幣背面的左右兩側，以滿文「ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡝ」(寶浙) 兩字標示鑄造單位，同樣也有字跡不清楚的情形。這枚錢幣的重量僅有1.9克，故能推測為民間私下所鑄。

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。