Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Qing Dynasty
Kangxi Tongbao
Taiwan Prefecture Bureau
清
康熙通寶
臺灣府局造
Item number: A1507
Year: AD 1688-1692
Material: Brass
Size: 26.5 x 26.7 x 0.9 mm
Weight: 4.45 g
Manufactured by: Taiwan Prefecture Bureau
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020
This is a Kangxi Tongbao coin minted on April 26, AD 1689 (the 28th year of the Kangxi reign) by the Taiwan Prefecture Bureau, located in Tainan, Taiwan. The coin is made of brass.
The coin has the typical Chinese square-holed design. On the obverse side, the four Chinese characters Kangxi Tongbao (康熙通寶) are engraved in regular script in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. On the reverse side, the left and right sides feature the mint location: the Manchu inscription “ᡨ᠋ᠠᡳ” and the Chinese character “臺” (Tai), indicating that the coin was minted in Taiwan.
In AD 1683 (the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign), the Qing Empire successfully defeated the Ming Zheng regime, which had made Taiwan its base of operations. After a brief debate within the imperial court, it was decided to incorporate Taiwan into the empire, with Tainan designated as the administrative centre, establishing the Taiwan Prefecture.
In AD 1688 (the 27th year of the Kangxi reign), Zhang Zhongju, the Governor of Fujian responsible for Taiwanese affairs, petitioned the court. He pointed out that many of the coins circulating in Taiwan were still remnants of the Ming Dynasty, left behind by the Ming Zheng regime. He recommended establishing a mint in Taiwan to produce new currency, and this proposal was approved by the imperial court.