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 coin mint in Linqing Prefecture, Shandong Province.
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 “Lin” for Linqing.
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.”
In the 18th year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1661), after Kangxi ascended the throne, various regional mints, including the Baolin Bureau, received samples and began minting Kangxi Tongbao coins. However, in the following year, the 1st year of the Kangxi reign (1662 AD), a new policy retained only the Jiangning Bureau in Nanjing at the local level, temporarily closing all other regional mints. It was not until the 6th year of Kangxi (AD 1667) that the Baolin Bureau was granted approval by the Ministry of Revenue to resume operations. In the 12th year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1673), the Baolin Bureau received another order to cease minting operations, and there are no records of it resuming thereafter. In the 14th year of Kangxi (AD 1675), the operations of the Baolin Bureau were entirely transferred to the Baodong Bureau, marking the end of the Baolin Bureau’s history.
