Item number: A1931

Year: AD 1887-1908

Material: Brass

Size: 15.5 x 15.8 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 1.15 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a Guangxu Tongbao coin minted during the Guangxu reign period by the Bao Fu Bureau in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. It was produced using mechanical minting techniques.

The coin follows the typical square-holed format, with the central round hole punched through by machinery. On the obverse, the Chinese characters Guangxu Tongbao (光緒通寶) are inscribed in a sequential order: top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side features Manchu script on both the left and right sides, indicating the issuing mint as “ᠪᠣᠣ ᡶᡠ” (Bao Fu).

In the 11th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1885), Yang Changjun, then Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, attempted to cast a batch of Guangxu Tongbao coins with blank reverses using machinery from the Fujian Arsenal. However, his proposal to the Ministry of Revenue was not granted approval for circulation. It was not until the 13th year of Guangxu (AD 1887) that provinces began mass-producing square-holed coins using mechanical methods in accordance with Empress Dowager Cixi’s decree. Nevertheless, by the 32nd year of Guangxu (AD 1908), Guangdong became the first province to follow Hong Kong’s example by minting Western-style copper coins, leading to the gradual decline of square-holed coinage.

物件編號: A1931

年代: 公元 1887-1908 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 15.5 x 15.8 x 0.7 mm

重量: 1.15 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚光緒年間，位於福建省會福州負責鑄錢的寶福局，以機械鑄造的光緒通寶。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，方框中間的圓洞以機器打穿。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左順序，依序鐫刻漢字「光緒通寶」。錢幣背面的左右兩側以滿文標示鑄造單位「ᠪᠣᠣ ᡶᡠ」(寶福)。

光緒11年 (公元1885年)，時任閩浙總督楊昌浚以福建船政局的機器嘗試鑄造一批背面為光背的光緒通寶，但是上奏戶部並未得到發行的許可。直到光緒13年 (公元1887年)，各省按照慈禧太后的命令方才以機械量產方孔錢。不過隨著光緒32年 (公元1908年)，廣東率先仿效香港鑄造西式銅幣，方孔錢才逐漸退出歷史的舞台。