This coin was a circulating currency known as “Kangxi Tongbao,” minted during the reign of the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi, spanning from AD 1661 to AD 1722. It was produced at the Jiangning Prefecture Bureau in Jiangnan Province, which is located in present-day Nanjing.
The coin is circular with a square hole in the center, primarily made of brass. The outer part of the coin forms two concentric circles, with the outer circle in a brass color, smooth and without any patterns. The inner circle on the obverse side, surrounding the square hole, features the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao” in regular script at the top, bottom, right, and left in sequence.
On the reverse side, also centered around the square hole, both the left and right sides bear inscriptions in Manchu and Chinese characters, indicating the minting location as the abbreviated form “Ning” for Jiangning. Due to the passage of time, the upper right part of the reverse side has suffered significant wear, making the characters appear unclear.
During the Kangxi era, in addition to the central mints “Baoquan Bureau” and “Baoyuan Bureau,” a total of 24 regional mints were established. In the Qing dynasty, the minting of coins in Shandong Province began in the 2nd year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1645) with the establishment of the “Linqing Prefecture Bureau” in Linqing Prefecture, Shandong. Shortly thereafter, in the 6th year of Shunzhi (AD 1649), the “Shandong Province Bureau” was established in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong, and was abbreviated as the “Baodong Bureau.”
After the Qing Empire conquered the Central Plains, Jiangning Prefecture (modern-day Nanjing), which had served as the former capital of the Ming dynasty, became a crucial military stronghold for controlling the southern regions and a vital economic hub. Therefore, in the 3rd year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1646), the Qing court established the “Jiangning Prefecture Bureau,” abbreviated as “Baoning Bureau,” to oversee coin minting in the area.
Following Kangxi’s ascension to the throne in the 18th year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1661), the Baoning Bureau, along with other regional mints, received coin samples and began minting Kangxi Tongbao coins. Despite the central government’s directive in the 1st year of Kangxi (AD 1662) to close most regional mints to control the currency supply, Jiangning Prefecture, as a key military garrison, was the only local mint permitted to continue operations.
In the 6th year of Kangxi (AD 1667), Jiangnan Province was divided into Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, and the Baoning Bureau came under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province. However, in the 9th year of Kangxi (AD 1670), the Baoning Bureau was ordered to cease its minting activities.
In the 61st year of Kangxi (AD 1722), the Ministry of Revenue decided to retain only one mint per province, designating the Baosu Bureau in Suzhou as the representative mint for Jiangsu Province. Consequently, the Baoning Bureau was officially closed and faded into history.
