Item number: A648

Year: AD 1736-1796

Material: Brass

Size: 26.2 x 26.3 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 4.65 g

Manufactured by: Bao Yong Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is the “Qianlong Tongbao,” issued by the “Bao Yong Bureau,” established in Yunnan during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1735–AD 1796). The coin features a square hole design.

The outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole of the coin are exceptionally well-defined. The inner rim on the obverse side is engraved with the four Chinese characters “乾隆通寶” (Qianlong Tongbao), while the reverse side bears the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠶᠣᠩ” (Bao Yong), with slight wear visible on the left side.

The “Bao Yong Bureau,” located in Yunnan, was a mint established during the Shunzhi period. Yunnan was a significant source of copper ore for the Qing Dynasty, with the locally produced copper known as “Tián copper”(滇銅), serving as a crucial material for minting copper coins. Due to regional advantages, coins produced by the Bao Yong Bureau generally had a larger and thicker composition compared to those from other mints. While the official standard for copper coins was 1.2 mace (approximately 4.5 g), this particular coin weighs 4.65 g.

物件編號: A648

年代: 公元 1736-1796 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.2 x 26.3 x 1.2 mm

重量: 4.65 g

製造地: 寶雲局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第六任皇乾隆在位期間(公元1735至1796年)，由雲南地方所設立「寶雲局」發行之「乾隆通寶」，其外觀為方孔錢。

錢幣的外廓、內廓和中央的方孔十分清晰。正面的內廓鐫刻漢字「乾隆通寶」四字，背面的為滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠶᠣᠩ」（寶雲）二字，左側略微磨損。

「寶雲局」位於雲南，是從順治時期成立的造幣廠。雲南為清朝銅礦的重要產地，此地生產的銅礦稱「滇銅」，作為清朝鑄造銅幣的重要來源。因地利關係，比較清代寶雲局與其他局生產的銅幣，銅料更大、更厚重。根據當時官定銅錢的重量應為1.2錢（約等於4.5克），然而此枚銅錢重量達到4.65克。