Item number: A1929

Year: AD 1888

Material: Brass

Size: 23.1 x 23.1 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 3.5 g

Manufactured by: Bao Jin Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a Guangxu Tongbao coin minted in the 14th year of Guangxu (AD 1888) at the Bao Jin Bureau under the supervision of Li Hongzhang. The coin was made of brass and represents an early attempt at mechanised minting using imported British machinery.

The coin features the typical square-holed design. On the obverse, the inscription “Guangxu Tongbao” (光緒通寶) is engraved in a delicate Chinese script, following the traditional top-bottom-right-left order. The reverse side bears the Manchu characters “Bao Jin” (ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡳᠶᡠ) on the left and right sides, indicating its minting at the Bao Jin Bureau.

The Bao Jin Bureau was established during the Qing Dynasty’s Self-Strengthening Movement, as part of a series of modernisation measures. It represented a significant stage in the transition of minting techniques to mechanised production. In the 12th year of Guangxu (AD 1886), Prince Yixuan and others petitioned the court to establish a mechanised minting factory. The following year, the Bao Jin Bureau was founded, under the jurisdiction of the the Tianjin Arsenal.

In the 13th year of Guangxu (AD 1887), Li Hongzhang, under imperial orders, purchased coin-minting machinery from the British firm Greenwood & Batley. The equipment safely arrived in China in April of the following year (AD 1888), and trial minting took place between May and September. However, due to technical challenges and the high cost of copper, Li Hongzhang ultimately decided to halt the mechanical production of Guangxu Tongbao square-holed coins.

Nevertheless, the Bao Jin Bureau symbolised the beginning of mechanised coin production. Its significance is comparable to that of the Guangdong Mint, established in AD 1889 to produce new silver dollars, both assuming the mission of mechanised coinage.

物件編號: A1929

年代: 公元 1888 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 23.1 x 23.1 x 0.8 mm

重量: 3.5 g

製造地: 寶津局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚光緒14年(公元1888年)，李鴻章主持下的寶津局以英國進口的機器，嘗試以機械鑄造的「光緒通寶」，材質為黃銅。

錢幣外觀為典型的方孔錢，正面按照上、下、右、左順序，依序以纖細的漢字鐫刻「光緒通寶」。背面則在左右兩側打印滿文「寶津」。

「寶津局」是清朝自強運動時期，一系列洋務措施的其中一環，是製幣技術向機器鑄造過渡的重要階段。光緒12年(公元1886年)，醇親王奕譞等人奏請朝廷設立機鑄錢幣工廠，隨即於隔年成立寶津局，並隸屬於天津機器製造局。

光緒13年(公元1887年)，李鴻章奉朝廷命令，向英國格林沃公司添購鑄造錢幣所需要的機器。隔年4月機器平安運抵中國，並且在5至9月這段時間進行試鑄。然而最終考慮到工法和銅價成本上昂等因素，李鴻章決定停止以機械鑄造光緒通寶方孔錢。

儘管如此，寶津局仍然象徵機鑄錢幣的先河，其重要性不遜於公元1889年，為鑄造新式銀元所成立的廣東錢局，皆承擔機制錢幣的使命。