Item number: A2695

Year: AD 1853-1861

Material: Iron

Size: 27.7 x 27.9 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 5.95 g

Manufactured by: Bao Yuan Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a “Xianfeng Chungbao” coin minted during the Xianfeng period by the Bao Yuan Bureau, which was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Work in the capital. The denomination of the coin is 5-cash. In the 3rd year of Xianfeng (AD 1853), the minting of large-denomination coins, including “Chungbao” and “Yuanbao,” began. During the production of Xianfeng Chungbao coins with a denomination of 5-cash, a total of 10 mints were involved in manufacturing, with materials including copper and iron.

The specimen held in this museum’s collection is made of iron.

The coin follows the typical square-holed cash coin form, with the entire surface covered in a reddish patina resulting from age and oxidation. On the obverse, the four Chinese characters “Xianfeng Chungbao” are inscribed in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side features the denomination “當五” (5-cash) engraved on the top and bottom, while the left and right sides display the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ” (Bao Yuan), indicating the Bao Yuan Bureau as the issuing authority.

The Xianfeng period was one of the most chaotic times for Qing dynasty coinage, primarily due to the rapid spread of the Taiping Rebellion, which created an urgent need for military funding to suppress the uprising. In response, Emperor Xianfeng accelerated the production of currency by issuing coins with large denominations and reopening or establishing new mints that had been long inactive. As a result, the number of mints during the Xianfeng era reached 28, producing coins with denominations ranging from smaller values of four cash to as high as one thousand cash. This rapid expansion, however, also led to severe inflation within the empire.

物件編號: A2695

年代: 公元 1853-1861 年

材質: 鐵

尺寸: 27.7 x 27.9 x 1.6 mm

重量: 5.95 g

製造地: 寶源局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚咸豐年間，京師負責全國工程的工部下轄之寶源局鑄造的「咸豐重寶」，面額為五文錢。咸豐3年(公元1853年)，開始鑄造大面額的重寶和元寶。當五面額的咸豐重寶，總計有10間鑄錢局投入生產，材質則有銅和鐵兩種。本館收藏的物件材質為鐵。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，通體為紅色包漿覆蓋。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻漢字「咸豐重寶」四字。錢幣背面的上下兩側鐫刻漢字面額「當五」，左右兩側是標示鑄造單位的滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ」(寶源)。

咸豐年間為清朝錢幣最為混亂的時期，主要原因是太平天國之亂的迅速蔓延，使得朝廷亟需軍費以平定叛亂。咸豐為加快籌錢的速度，一面鑄造大面額的錢幣，一面增設或恢復停工已久的鑄錢局，使得咸豐時期的鑄錢局達到28間，面額從較小的四文到一千文不等，卻也導致國內面臨嚴重的通貨膨脹。