Item number: A1014

Year: AD 1667-1670 / 1687-1700

Material: Brass

Size: 24.0 x 24.0 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 2.75 g

Manufactured by: Wuchang Prefecture Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin is a circulating currency piece from the reign of the third Qing Emperor, Kangxi (AD 1661-AD 1722), minted in Wuchang Prefecture. It bears the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao.”

The coin has a typical square-holed design and is made of brass, covered with a reddish-brown patina. The obverse side is inscribed with the four Chinese characters “Kangxi Tongbao” in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. On the reverse side, the left and right sides are marked with the Manchu script “ᠴᠠᠩ” and the Chinese character “Chang.” The Manchu script on the reverse side of this coin reads “᠋ᠴᠠᠩ” but lacks the upward hook stroke at the end, appearing instead as a simple vertical line.

Given that the coin weighs only 2.75 g, it is likely a privately minted piece rather than an official issue.

During the Kangxi period, in addition to the centrally administered mints of the “Bao Quan Bureau” and the “Bao Yuan Bureau,” 24 regional mints were established across various provinces.

The Wuchang Prefecture Bureau was established in the 10th year of Shunzhi (AD 1653) and was responsible for minting coins for Huguang Province at the time. After the province was split into Hubei and Hunan in the 3rd year of Kangxi (AD 1664), the mint became solely responsible for coinage in Hubei Province. The Wuchang Bureau began producing Kangxi Tongbao coins in the 7th year of Kangxi (AD 1667) but ceased production in the 9th year of Kangxi (AD 1670). Minting operations resumed later, between the 26th and 39th years of Kangxi (AD 1687-1700).

To avoid confusion with the Nanchang Bureau of Jiangxi Province, which also had the character “Chang” on the reverse side of its coins, the Wuchang Bureau later adopted the character “Wu” as its mintmark during the Yongzheng era. This change helped to clearly distinguish the origin of the coins produced by Wuchang.

物件編號: A1014

年代: 公元 1667-1670 / 1687-1700 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 24.0 x 24.0 x 0.6 mm

重量: 2.75 g

製造地: 武昌府局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

此硬幣為清朝第三任皇帝康熙年間(公元1661-1722年)，於武昌府鑄造的流通貨幣「康熙通寶」。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為黃銅，通體為紅褐色包漿覆蓋。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左順序，依序鐫刻漢字「康熙通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側，分別以滿文「᠋ᠴᠠᠩ」和漢字「昌」標示錢幣的鑄造地點。背面的滿文「᠋ᠴᠠᠩ」少了收尾上勾的筆劃，而是呈現一條豎線。

這枚錢幣重量僅有2.75克，故應該為民間私下所鑄造。

康熙年間，隸屬中央的「寶泉局」和「寶源局」之外，各地方亦先後設立鑄錢局24處。

武昌府局成立於順治10年(公元1653年)，彼時負責湖廣省的錢幣鑄造。康熙3年(公元1664年)，湖廣省拆分為湖北和湖南以後，該局就專責於湖北省的錢幣鑄造。武昌府局於康熙7年(公元1667年)開始鑄造康熙通寶，於康熙9年(公元1670年)停鑄。直到康熙26-39年(公元1687-1700年)方才恢復鑄造。

為避免跟同樣背面有「昌」字的江西南昌府局混淆。武昌府局於後續雍正年間改採「武」字作為鑄造地標示。