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Qing Dynasty
Jiaqing Tongbao
Bao Qian Bureau
清
嘉慶通寶
寶黔局造
Item number: A596
Year: AD 1796-1820
Material: Copper
Size: 25.5 x 25.5 x 0.9 mm
Weight: 4.2 g
Manufactured by: Bao Qian Bureau
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Jiaqing Tongbao” coin minted during the Jiaqing period at the Bao Qian Bureau in Guiyang, Guizhou Province. The coin has a typical square-hole shape and is made of copper. The obverse features the inscription “Jiaqing Tongbao” in Chinese characters, arranged in a clockwise order, although it exhibits significant wear, the characters remain identifiable. The reverse sides display the Manchu characters “ᠪᠣᡠ ᡴᡳᠠᠨ” (Bao Qian), indicating the minting authority, although their recognition requires careful observation due to the coin’s condition.
The Bao Qian Bureau was established in the sixth year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1667). It was ordered to permanently cease minting at the end of the Qianlong period, but operations resumed when Jiaqing ascended to the throne. The copper and lead required for minting coins at the Baoqian Bureau were sourced locally from the nearby Yunnan Province and within Guizhou itself, allowing for greater profitability in coin production compared to other provinces.
After Jiaqing ascended to the throne following his father Qianlong’s abdication, he faced a massive financial crisis left behind by his predecessor. To address this, Jiaqing allowed the continued use of silver by the populace while simultaneously working to improve the quality of minted coins. As a result, the quality of “Jiaqing Tongbao” coins was notably superior and more standardised compared to the coins minted during the later years of Qianlong’s reign, with the weight officially set at 1 Mace 2 Candareens.
However, Jiaqing’s financial reforms were disrupted by frequent uprisings led by secret societies such as the White Lotus and Tianli sects. These disturbances undermined his efforts, leading to widespread private minting and even official adulteration of coinage, which in turn caused rampant inflation. In response, Jiaqing issued an edict permitting provinces lacking copper resources to suspend coin production. If they were to continue minting coins, the weight had to be strictly maintained at 1 Mace 2 Candareens. Consequently, many provinces ceased production, leading to a reduction in the circulation of copper coins and a subsequent stabilisation of prices.