Item number: A715-2

Year: AD 1748-1796

Material: Brass

Size: 23.3 x 23.2 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 4.45 g

Manufactured by: Bao San Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a Qianlong Tongbao coin issued by the Bao San Mint in Shaanxi Province during the reign of Qianlong, the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1735– AD 1796). The coin features a square hole in the centre.

The coin’s outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole are very clearly defined. The inner rim of the obverse is engraved with the four Chinese characters “乾隆通寶” (Qianlong Tongbao), with the overall strokes appearing somewhat rigid. The characters “乾隆” are compressed, while “通寶” is slightly elongated. On the reverse, the inner rim features the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᠠᠨ” (Bao San), with the script lacking the aesthetic quality of calligraphy.

The Bao San Mint was originally named the “Xi’an Prefecture Mint” and was established in Shaanxi Province during the second year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1645). Although minting activities occurred during the Yongzheng period, they were later suspended. Minting resumed only in the 13th year of the Qianlong reign (AD 1748). Initially, the Bao San Mint used imported copper from Japan. From the 17th year of Qianlong’s reign (AD 1752), Sichuan copper and Yunnan copper began to replace Japanese copper, whose usage gradually declined. The primary raw materials then came from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, with copper from newly opened mines within Shaanxi Province also being utilised.

物件編號: A715-2

年代: 公元 1748-1796 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 23.3 x 23.2 x 1.5 mm

重量: 4.45 g

製造地: 寶陝局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第六任皇帝乾隆在位期間(公元1735至1796年)，由陝西省「寶陝局」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」四字整體筆畫較生硬，乾隆字體被壓縮，通寶兩字則略微狹長。背面的內廓為滿文「ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᠠᠨ」（寶陝）二字，字體較無書法的美感。

寶陝局最早的名稱為「西安府局」，在順治2年（公元1645年）於陝西省設立。雍正時期雖有鑄造，但後來又停止。直到乾隆13年（公元1748年）才又開始鑄造。寶陝局最初使用來自日本的洋銅，乾隆十七年開始使用川銅和滇銅，後洋銅用量逐漸減少，主要原料來自川、滇兩省，陝西省內自開礦的銅礦也開始使用。