Item number: A997

Year: AD 1668-1673 / 1696-1699

Material: Brass

Size: 26.4 x 26.2 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 3.5 g

Manufactured by: Zhejiang Province Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin was a circulating currency known as “Kangxi Tongbao,” minted during the reign of the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi, spanning from AD 1661 to AD 1722. It was produced at the coin mint in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province.

The coin is circular with a square hole in the center, primarily made of brass. The outer part of the coin forms two concentric circles, with the outer circle in a brass color, smooth and without any patterns. The lower side of the coin has a noticeable chipped edge, and the inscriptions on both the obverse and reverse sides are quite illegible.

The inner circle on the obverse side, surrounding the square hole, features the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao” in regular script at the top, bottom, right, and left in sequence. The reverse side also centres around the square hole, with the Manchu inscription “ᠵᡝ” on the left and the Chinese character “Zhe” on the right, indicating the place of minting.

During the Kangxi era, in addition to the central mints “Bao Quan Bureau” and “Bao Yuan Bureau,” a total of 24 regional mints were established. In the Qing dynasty, the minting of coins in Zhejiang Province commenced in the 6th year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1649). Initially named the “Zhejiang Provincial Bureau,” it was later abbreviated to “Bao Zhe Bureau.” This mint was administered by the Zhejiang Provincial Chief Secretary and became one of the longest-standing and most prolific mints in terms of coin production during that period.

In the 7th year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1668), the Bao Zhe Bureau received coin specimens provided by the central government and commenced the minting of Kangxi Tongbao coins within that same year, producing them in considerable quantities. However, due to the court’s efforts to control the quantity of coins and the scarcity of copper mines in Zhejiang, the Bao Zhe Bureau experienced several interruptions in coin production during the Kangxi period. The bureau’s minting activities occurred during two main intervals: from the 7th to the 12th year of Kangxi (AD 1668 to AD 1673) and from the 35th to the 38th year of Kangxi (AD 1696 to AD 1699).

物件編號: A997

年代: 公元 1668-1673 / 1696-1699 年

材料: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.4 x 26.2 x 0.9 mm

重量: 3.5 g

製造地: 浙江省局

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)，於浙江省會杭州的鑄錢局鑄造之流通貨幣「康熙通寶」。

錢幣呈圓形，中間有一方孔，主要材質為黃銅。錢幣外觀為一雙同心圓，外圓呈黃銅色，光滑無圖案；內圓鐫字部分呈黑褐色。錢幣下側有明顯的破損缺角，且正反兩面的文字皆十分潦草。

正面的內圓以方孔為中心，於上、下、右、左處以楷書依序鐫刻「康熙通寶」四字。背面亦以方孔為中心，於其左右兩側，分別以滿文「ᠵᡝ」和漢文「浙」鐫刻鑄造地。

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。浙江一省於清代的鑄錢始於順治6年(公元1649年)，初名為「浙江省局」後以「寶浙局」作為簡稱，歸浙江省布政司管轄，為歷時最為悠久和發行量較大的鑄錢局之一。

康熙7年(公元1668年)，寶浙局收到中央提供的樣錢後，於當年開爐鑄造康熙通寶其發行量極為可觀。不過朝廷為控制錢幣數量和浙江缺乏銅礦，寶浙局在康熙年間也曾幾度停鑄，其鑄造時間落在康熙7至12年(公元1668至1673年)和康熙35至38年(公元1696-1699年)。