Item number: A2890

Year: AD 1887

Material: Brass

Size: 22.2 x 22.6 mm

Manufactured by: Bao Jin Bureau

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a “Guangxu Tongbao” brass coin minted in the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1887) by the Bao Jin Bureau, which was responsible for coinage in Shanxi Province. In compliance with an imperial decree, the bureau sourced copper ore from Tianjin to produce this issue.

The coin adopts the traditional Chinese format of a square-holed cash coin, with a notably thick and aesthetically pleasing appearance. On the obverse, the four characters Guangxu Tongbao (光緒通寶) are inscribed in regular script, arranged sequentially from top, bottom, right, to left. The reverse features the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡳᠨ” (Bao Jin), indicating that the coin was minted by the Bao Jin Bureau.

In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (AD 1887), the Bao Jin Bureau, in accordance with an imperial edict, commenced the minting of Guangxu Tongbao coins but soon halted production shortly thereafter.

Coinage resumed in the 25th year of Guangxu (AD 1899), although the second issue featured noticeably smaller coins with less refined inscriptions compared to the earlier batch. Unlike coastal provinces, which had increasing contact with Western nations and gradually adopted machine-struck silver and copper coins in daily transactions, the inland province of Shanxi continued to rely on traditional square-holed cash coins for everyday commerce. As a result, the minting of Guangxu Tongbao coins persisted in Shanxi until the accession of the new emperor, Xuantong.

物件編號: A2890

年代: 公元 1887 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 22.2 x 22.6 mm

製造地: 寶晉局

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚光緒13年 (公元1887年)，負責山西省鑄幣事務的「寶晉局」遵照朝廷的命令，從天津購買銅礦鑄造的「光緒通寶」黃銅錢。

錢幣的形制為中國典型的方孔錢，外觀十分厚實和美觀。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序以漢字楷書書法鐫刻「光緒通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側以滿文標示「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡳᠨ」（寶晉）二字。

光緒13年 (公元1887年)，寶晉局遵照朝廷命令開鑄「光緒通寶」沒有多久又旋即停工。直到光緒25年 (公元1899年) 又重新開爐鑄造，不過第二批鑄造的光緒通寶的尺寸縮水，字跡也不如第一批美觀。不同於其他沿海省份和歐美有較為密切的往來，於日常生活上逐漸採納機械鑄造的銀幣和銅幣。地處內陸的山西省在日常經濟交換上，仍習慣使用舊式的方孔錢，因此持續鑄造光緒通寶直到新任的宣統皇帝登基為止。