Item number: A2700

Year: AD 1667-1670 / 1683-1700

Material: Brass

Size: 25.4 x 25.4 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 3.2 g

Manufactured by: Hunan Province Changsha Bureau

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a coin cast by the Changsha Bureau under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province during the Qing dynasty, believed to have been produced in two main periods: from the sixth to the ninth year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1667–1670), and from the twenty-second to the thirty-ninth year (AD 1683–1700), bearing the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao”. It is denominated as one wen and also referred to as a “xiaoping qian”, or small-denomination coin.

The coin adopts the standard Han Chinese form of a round coin with a square central hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Kangxi Tongbao” in Chinese, to be read from top to bottom and left to right. In the character “bao”, the strokes of the “er” radical are joined. The strokes of all four characters are relatively thick, and the inscription connects through the central hole to the rim. The reverse bears the Manchu inscription “᠋ᠨᠠᠨ”, corresponding to the Chinese character “南” (Nan), both indicating that the coin was minted at the Bao Nan Mint, formally known as the Changsha Prefectural Mint of Hunan. These reverse characters are thinner in stroke and also extend from the square hole toward the rim. Both obverse and reverse surfaces display whitish powder-like corrosion.

The left-side inscription on the reverse of the coin, “᠋ᠨᠠᠨ”, corresponds in meaning to the Chinese character “南” (Nan), both indicating that the coin was minted at the Changsha Prefectural Mint in Hunan, later referred to as the Bao Nan Mint. The character “᠋ᠨᠠᠨ” is written in cursive script. Both characters connect through the central hole and extend toward the outer rim, with relatively fine stroke lines. Whitish powdery corrosion is present on both the obverse and reverse surfaces of the coin.

During the Kangxi reign, in addition to the centrally administered Baoquan and Baoyuan Mints, twenty-four local mints were successively established. The primary purpose of these mints was to generate seigniorage—profit from coin production—to support military expenditures. The coinage material consisted primarily of old coins or scrap copperware. The Hunan mint was founded in the sixth year of Kangxi (AD 1667), with an alloy standard of 70% red copper and 30% white lead (zinc), and a legal weight of 1.4 qian (approximately 5.25 grams). Due to the oversupply of official coinage in the market, minting was temporarily suspended. In the twenty-second year of Kangxi (AD 1683), minting resumed, with a revised alloy composition of 60% red copper and 40% white lead, and a reduced legal weight of 1 qian (approximately 4 grams). However, the quality of the coins produced during this second phase was notably poor. They were small, light, and contained excessive lead, resulting in a further imperial order to cease operations in the thirty-ninth year of Kangxi (AD 1700).

The Kangxi Emperor, named Xuanye, was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty and reigned from AD 1661 to 1722, making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs in Chinese history. He ascended the throne at the age of eight under the regency of Oboi, whom he later removed to assert imperial authority. Known for his diligence and benevolence, he prioritised river management, disaster relief, tax reductions, and education. He established the prestigious “Boxue Hongci” imperial examination and commissioned the compilation of the “Kangxi Dictionary”. Militarily, he suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, reclaimed Taiwan, and repelled Galdan of the Dzungar Khanate. He also negotiated the Treaty of Nerchinsk with Russia, establishing formal boundaries. Deeply respectful of Han culture, he promoted Confucianism and maintained close relations with scholars, conducting frequent inspection tours and earning widespread popular support. He is widely recognised as a founder of the “Kang-Qian flourishing age”. In his later years, succession disputes arose due to the deposition of the crown prince, and ultimately, his fourth son Yinzhen succeeded him as the Yongzheng Emperor.

物件編號: A2700

年代: 公元 1667-1670 / 1683-1700 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 25.4 x 25.4 x 0.8 mm

重量: 3.2 g

製造地: 湖南長沙府局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚由清代湖南省下轄長沙府局，應於康熙六年至康熙九年(公元1667-1670年)與康熙二十二至三十九年(公元1683-1700年)所鑄之「康熙通寶」。幣值一文，亦稱「小平錢」。

銅錢形制為中國漢地典型的方孔圓錢。正面錢文為漢字「康熙通寶」，由上至下、由左至右對讀。「熙」左撇長，稱「長撇熙」；「通」字「辶」旁末筆較平直並連輪，稱「平足通」；「寶」字「尔」旁筆劃相連。四字字體筆劃較粗、接穿連輪。

錢背左側錢文「᠋ᠨᠠᠨ」與漢字「南」同義，一同標示鑄錢地為湖南長沙府局，後稱為寶南局。「᠋ᠨᠠᠨ」字為草書。二字接穿連輪，字體筆劃較細。錢面背均有白色粉狀鏽。

康熙年間，隸屬中央的「寶泉局」和「寶源局」之外，各地方亦先後設立鑄錢局二十四處。設錢局主因是以鑄錢獲錢息(即鑄幣稅)，「以佐軍資」，錢材主要以舊錢或銅器皿為主。湖南長沙府局成立於康熙六年(公元1667年)，按制為紅銅七、白鉛三(白鉛即今鋅)，法重一錢四分(約合今5.25克)。因官錢氾濫於市，一度停止鑄造。康熙二十二年(公元1683年)復鑄，按制改為紅銅六、白鉛四，法重一錢(約合今4克)。然而復工後的品質甚為惡劣，形制輕小，摻鉛過多，使其在康熙三十九年(公元1700年)又遭勒令停業。

康熙帝，名玄燁，是清朝第四位皇帝，自公元1661年至1722年在位，為中國歷史上在位最久的皇帝之一。他八歲即位，由鰲拜輔政，後親政並剷除鰲拜，確立君主威權。康熙帝勤政寬仁，重視治河、賑災、減稅與教育，開設博學鴻詞科，編纂《康熙字典》。他先後平定三藩之亂、收復臺灣、擊退噶爾丹，並與俄國締結《尼布楚條約》，確立邊界。康熙尊重漢文化，提倡儒學，巡視各地，深得民心，被尊為「康乾盛世」的奠基者。晚年因太子廢立問題致宮廷紛爭，最終由第四子胤禛繼位，即雍正帝。