Item number: A953

Year: AD 1653-1657

Material: Brass

Size: 24.2 x 24.1 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 2.8 g

Manufactured by: Henan Province Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Shunzhi Tongbao” coin minted during the reign of Shunzhi, the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty after entering China proper. The coin was produced in Henan Province. This coin has a typical square hole design and is made of brass.

On the obverse, the characters “Shunzhi Tongbao” are inscribed in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse of the coin features Chinese characters on both sides, with the denomination “一厘” (One Cash) inscribed on the left and the abbreviation for the mint location, “河” (He), on the right. The condition of the reverse side of this coin is notably more complete than that of the obverse.

The denomination “One Cash” inscribed on the reverse indicates the equivalent amount of silver for which this brass coin could be exchanged. Beginning in the mid-Ming Dynasty, a large influx of silver from the Americas flowed into China, leading to silver gradually becoming the commonly accepted precious metal among the populace. Particularly towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the value of silver proved to be more stable than that of brass coins. As a result, the Qing court, having just entered the realm, continued to follow the Ming system of minting until it ceased production in the 14th year of Shunzhi’s reign (AD 1657). This type of coin, featuring a silver exchange denomination on the reverse, is referred to as the third style within the numismatic community.

In the 4th year of Shunzhi’s reign (AD 1647), the Henan Province Bureau officially began operations in Kaifeng Prefecture, the provincial capital, to produce brass coins for the entire province of Henan. However, due to the lack of coal resources in Kaifeng, the Bureau was subsequently relocated to Huaiqing Prefecture in the 6th year of Shunzhi (AD 1649) to continue production.

During the 18-year reign of Emperor Shunzhi, the “Shunzhi Tongbao” coins were categorised into five major types based on the patterns on the reverse side:

物件編號: A953

年代: 公元 1653-1657 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 24.2 x 24.1 x 0.6 mm

重量: 2.8 g

製造地: 河南省局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝入關的首任皇帝順治所鑄造的「順治通寶」，鑄造地點為河南省。這枚錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為黃銅。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左順序，依序鐫刻漢字「順治通寶」四字。錢幣背後左右兩側，分別以漢字在左側鐫刻面額「一厘」，右側是鑄造地點的簡稱「河」。這枚錢幣背面的保存狀況較正面來得完整。

背面鐫刻的面額「一厘」為這枚銅錢得以兌換的等價白銀。明朝中葉起，來自美洲新大陸的白銀大舉流入中國，使得白銀逐漸成為民間通用的貴金屬。尤其在明朝末年之際，白銀的價值比銅錢來得更為穩定，故剛入關不久的清廷也延續明制鑄造，直到順治14年(公元1657年)才停鑄。這種背面帶有白銀兌換面額的版型，錢幣界將其命名為第三式。

順治4年(公元1647年)，河南省局於省會開封府正式開工，負責河南一省所需的銅錢鑄造。然而後續考慮到開封一地缺乏煤炭，故於順治6年(公元1649)將鑄錢局搬遷至懷慶府繼續生產。

順治皇帝統治的18年間，其鑄造的順治通寶按照背面版式，總計有五大種類：