Item number: A2694

Year: AD 1850-1861

Material: Copper

Size: 22.8 x 22.9 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 3.25 g

Manufactured by: Bao Yi Bureau, Ili

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a copper coin cast by the Bao Yi Mint of Qing Dynasty Northern Xinjiang during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (AD 1850–1861), known as “Xianfeng Tongbao”. It is denominated as one wen, also referred to as a “xiaoping qian” or small-denomination coin.

The coin is in the typical Han Chinese style of a round coin with a square hole. The inscription on the obverse reads “Xianfeng Tongbao”, to be read top-to-bottom and right-to-left. While the strokes appear scattered and the workmanship seems crude at first glance, it is in fact among the finest of the Xinjiang coinages, superior to those produced by mints in Southern Xinjiang.

The inscription on the reverse reads “ᠪᠣᠣ ᡳ”, transliterated as “Bao Yi”, and is to be read from left to right in reverse order. It signifies the Bao Yi Mint located in Ili.

In AD 1775, the fortieth year of the Qianlong reign, following the Qing conquest of the Dzungar Khanate, the Qing court, in order to stabilise the economy and military logistics of the newly acquired territory, established the Bao Yi Mint in Huiyuan, Ili, Northern Xinjiang, modelled on the mint system of the interior provinces. This came after the earlier establishment of mints in Southern Xinjiang. Since AD 1760 (the twenty-fifth year of Qianlong), the Qing government had operated the Yarkand Mint, which produced high-purity copper coins modelled after the “pul” coins of the Dzungars; these were widely circulated and came to be known as “red coins” due to their reddish hue and metallic purity. The Bao Yi Mint followed Han coinage forms, but its coin alloy, though of slightly lower quality than those of Yarkand, remained superior to that of interior provinces. Its dark reddish tone was more acceptable to local populations and helped maintain monetary credibility and circulation. Copper coins bearing the inscription “Qianlong Tongbao” cast by the Bao Yi Mint were among the few Xinjiang coinages accepted for circulation in interior China and were favoured by merchants.

During the Xianfeng reign, as the empire faced successive internal and external crises, military expenditures increased dramatically. In addition to standard coins, the mint produced numerous large-denomination coins in accordance with central policy, such as those valued at “four”, “ten”, and even “one thousand” wen. As a result, small-denomination coins such as this became uncommon. In AD 1871, the tenth year of the Tongzhi reign, Russian forces invaded and occupied Ili. The Russians confiscated and extracted large quantities of these coins, most of which were transported to Russia and melted down for military and industrial use. The Russian ruble was thereafter introduced for circulation in Xinjiang, and as a consequence, coins cast by the Bao Yi Mint have become extremely rare today. Although Russia later withdrew, the Bao Yi Mint was never re-established. The disappearance of Bao Yi coinage not only triggered a shortage of currency and disrupted the regional economic system, but also undermined the Qing court’s future capacity to govern Xinjiang.

The Xianfeng Emperor, named Yizhu, was the ninth emperor of the Qing Dynasty and ascended the throne in AD 1850. His reign was marked by a combination of severe internal unrest and external pressure. Shortly after his accession, the Taiping Rebellion erupted, lasting more than a decade and gravely shaking the foundations of Qing rule, while drastically increasing military expenditures and destabilising local governance. During his reign, he also faced repeated frontier disturbances and popular uprisings, as well as the Second Opium War against Britain and France. The Treaty of Tianjin was signed in AD 1858, and in AD 1860, Anglo-French forces captured Beijing and burned the Old Summer Palace. The emperor fled to Rehe, where he died the following year in a temporary residence. Over his eleven-year reign, the empire suffered substantial decline.

物件編號: A2694

年代: 公元 1850-1861 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 22.8 x 22.9 x 1.1 mm

重量: 3.25 g

製造地: 寶伊局，伊犁

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚由清代北疆寶伊局，於咸豐年間(公元1850-1861年)所鑄之咸豐通寶。幣值為一文，亦稱「小平錢」。

銅錢形制為中國漢地典型的方孔圓錢，正面錢文為「咸豐通寶」，由上至下，由右至左對讀。乍看筆畫渙散，鑄工不精，實則為新疆鑄幣中最好之一類，尤勝於南疆各鑄幣廠。

銅錢背面錢文為「ᠪᠣᠣ ᡳ」，即「寶伊」，由左至右逆讀。為伊犁鑄錢局之意。

乾隆四十年(公元1775年)，清廷攻滅準噶爾汗國後，為了穩定新領地經濟與軍需，仿效內地寶局制度，而繼南疆錢局後，另行在新疆伊犁惠遠城設立寶伊局，專責鑄造制錢，以應對北疆軍政經費與維持地區貨幣流通。自乾隆二十五年(公元1760年)以來，清廷設葉爾羌局仿準噶爾普爾錢所鑄的高純度銅錢，即「紅錢」，於當地流通廣泛。寶伊局所鑄錢形制一如漢錢，惟銅質略低，但仍高於漢地，色澤暗紅，以利於當地民眾接受，並維持貨幣的信用與流通。寶伊局所鑄乾隆通寶，為少數可於內地行用之新疆製幣，商賈樂用。咸豐年間，由於內憂外患頻仍，軍需擴張，除常例銅錢外，亦配合中央政策大量鑄造大錢，如「當四」、「當十」，乃至「當千」等，小平錢反而罕見。同治十年(公元1871年)，俄軍出兵佔領伊犁後，俄方徵收並搜刮這些鑄幣，多數被運往俄國本土熔解為軍工原料，而在新疆行用俄鈔，因此寶伊局鑄錢如今存世稀少。後俄雖撤軍，但寶伊局再未復設。另一方面，寶伊局所鑄之錢流失，不僅造成錢荒，破壞了原有經濟體系，也動搖了日後清廷在新疆的治理基礎。

咸豐帝，名奕詝，是清朝第九位皇帝，於公元1850年即位。在位期間面臨內憂外患並重的局勢。即位不久便爆發太平天國運動，延續十餘年，嚴重動搖清廷統治根基，朝廷軍費壓力驟增，地方局勢紛亂。咸豐年間亦遭遇多起邊疆騷亂與民變，並與英法等列強發生第二次鴉片戰爭，公元1858年簽訂天津條約，公元1860年英法聯軍攻陷北京，圓明園被焚，咸豐帝西逃熱河，並於翌年病逝於行宮。在位十一年間，國勢大衰。