Item number: A1253

Year: AD 1854-1855

Material: Brass

Size: 33.45 x 33.47 mm

Weight: 14.77 g

Manufactured by: Bao De Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2016

This is a Xianfeng Chungbao coin minted during the Xianfeng reign period under the jurisdiction of Chengde Prefecture in Zhili Province. It has a nominal value of 10 cash.

The coin follows the typical form of square-holed currency. On the obverse, the four Chinese characters “Xianfeng Zhongbao” are inscribed in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side features the denomination “當十” (10-Cash) engraved on the top and bottom, while the left and right sides bear the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᡩᡝ” (Bao De), indicating the bureau location as Chengde, Zhili.

The Xianfeng period was one of the most chaotic times for Qing dynasty coinage, primarily due to the rapid spread of the Taiping Rebellion, which created an urgent need for military funding to suppress the uprising. In response, Emperor Xianfeng accelerated the production of currency by issuing coins with large denominations and reopening or establishing new mints that had been long inactive. As a result, the number of mints during the Xianfeng era reached 28, producing coins with denominations ranging from smaller values of four cash to as high as one thousand cash. This rapid expansion, however, also led to severe inflation within the empire.

In the 3rd year of the Xianfeng reign (AD 1853), the successful capture of Nanjing by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom caused a significant reduction in the Qing court’s tax revenue. Additionally, copper supplies from Yunnan were disrupted, leading to a severe shortage of materials for minting coins. To make matters worse, the Qing government faced immense military expenditures to suppress the Taiping rebellion. Consequently, on May 18th of the 4th year of Xianfeng (AD 1854), the court issued an edict instructing local officials to promptly establish mints in various regions to meet the financial demands.

The Rehe Circuit Intendant, who oversaw Chengde Prefecture, promptly organised preparations in response to the imperial edict. Since the Rehe region had no prior experience in establishing a mint, a memorial was submitted to the court seeking guidance on details such as the inscriptions on the coin surfaces. The Bao De Bureau began operations in August of that year, producing coins with denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5, and 1 cash. However, due to a shortage of raw materials and skilled artisans, the bureau ceased operations after only one year. It was officially closed in the 10th year of Xianfeng (AD 1860).

物件編號: A1253

年代: 公元 1854-1855 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 33.45 x 33.47 mm

重量: 14.77 g

製造地: 寶德局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2016

這是一枚咸豐年間，直隸省轄下的承德府鑄造之「咸豐重寶」，面額為十文錢。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻漢字「咸豐重寶」四字。錢幣背面的上下兩側鐫刻漢字面額「當十」，左右兩側是標示鑄造地點的滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᡩᡝ」(寶德)。

咸豐年間為清朝錢幣最為混亂的時期，主要原因是太平天國之亂的迅速蔓延，使得朝廷亟需軍費以平定叛亂。咸豐為加快籌錢的速度，一面鑄造大面額的錢幣，一面增設或恢復停工已久的鑄錢局，使得咸豐時期的鑄錢局達到28間，面額從較小的四文到一千文不等，卻也導致國內面臨嚴重的通貨膨脹。

咸豐3年(公元1853年)，隨著太平天國成功攻陷南京，使得清廷一來賦稅收入減少，二來雲南的銅礦被迫中斷，使得國庫用以鑄造錢幣的原料極度缺乏。雪上加霜的是，清廷為盡早評定太平天國之亂尚需要龐大的軍事開銷應對。因此在咸豐4年(公元1854年) 5月18日，朝廷向各地方官員下諭，盡快於各地成立鑄錢局以應付開支。

管理承德府的熱河道台立即籌備相關事項，由於熱河一地在過往沒有設立鑄錢局的經驗。因此還特地向朝廷上奏，詢問包含錢幣表面的文字內容細節。「寶德局」於8月開工，期間曾鑄造面額當百、當五十、當十、當五和當一的錢幣。然而當地缺乏足夠的原料和工匠之故，寶德局便在一年後停工。最終於咸豐10年(公元1860年)正式遭到裁撤。