Item number: A638

Year: AD 1727-1729

Material: Brass

Size: 26.3 x 26.3 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 4.65 g

Manufactured by: Bao Gung Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is the “Yongzheng Tongbao,” a square-holed coin issued by the Bao Gung Bureau in Gansu Province during the reign of the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the Yongzheng Emperor, who ruled from AD 1722 to AD 1735.

The outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole of the coin are well-defined. The inner rim of the obverse is engraved with the four Chinese characters “Yongzheng Tongbao.” The inner rim of the reverse is inscribed with the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡠᠩ” (Bao Gung).

Gansu Province was officially established in the 7th year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1668). Prior to this, it was under the jurisdiction of the “Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission”(陝西布政使司). Due to its extensive scope, it was divided into Left and Right Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commissions in the 3rd year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1664). After several reforms, it ultimately became the “Gansu Provincial Administration Commission,” with administrative centre in Lanzhou, and a mint was established. However, in the initial period, due to instability in the system and economy, actual minting lasted only about two years, resulting in a very limited production of coins by the Kangxi Bao Gung Bureau.

During the Yongzheng period, the demand for copper coins in Gansu increased, leading to a shortage and rampant private minting. Therefore, in the 5th year of the Yongzheng reign (AD 1727), copper coin production was resumed. However, the new coins were produced using “small coins” from the Shunzhi period, and the new issue still did not meet market needs. Additionally, issues such as coin exchanges and transportation losses caused public dissatisfaction and financial losses. As a result, minting was halted again in the 7th year of Yongzheng (AD 1729).

物件編號: A638

年代: 公元 1727-1729 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.3 x 26.3 x 0.9 mm

重量: 4.65 g

製造地: 寶鞏局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第五任皇帝雍正在位期間(公元1722至1735年)，於甘肅省所設立「寶鞏局」發行之「雍正通寶」，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「雍正通寶」四字。背面的內廓則鐫刻滿文「ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡠᠩ」（寶鞏）二字。

甘肅省於康熙7年(公元1668年)正式成立，先前隸屬於「陝西布政使司」管轄。因範圍過大，於康熙三年(公元1664年)分為左與右陝西部正使司，後經幾次改革，最終成為「甘肅省布政使司，徒治蘭州」，並設立造幣廠，然初期因制度、經濟等尚未穩定，實際鑄造時間大約僅有兩年，所以康熙朝寶鞏局生產銅幣極少。

雍正時期，甘肅地區對銅錢的需求提升，因銅錢入不敷出，導致私鑄猖獗。因此於雍正5年(公元1727年)，重新鼓鑄銅錢。然而當時採用收購順治時期的「小錢」生產「雍正通寶」，然新制錢仍不夠市場使用，再加上兌換以及運送等損失與問題，導致百姓損失，並引起民怨，因此很快又在雍正7年（公元1729年）停鑄。