Item number: A2782

Year: AD 1784-1794

Material: Brass

Size: 24.4 x 24.4 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 4.25 g

Manufactured by: Bao Chang Bureau, Jiangxi Province

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2019

This coin was issued during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, minted between AD 1784 and 1794 (Qianlong Years 49 to 59) by the Baochang Mint, located in Nanchang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province. It belongs to the “Qianlong Tongbao” series, with a standard weight of 1.2 qian (approximately 4.3 grams) and a nominal value of one wen, also known as “xiaopingqian” (small-denomination coin).

The coin adopts the traditional round shape with a square hole typical of the Han cultural sphere. The obverse bears the inscription “Qianlong Tongbao” in regular script, read from top to bottom and right to left. The “乾” character’s “乙” radical is written with a shorter upper stroke and a longer lower stroke; the “寶” character’s “缶” radical is rendered as “尔”. All four characters connect to both the rim and the inner square. The “通” character features a radical resembling the square-headed form “コ”, with its base line extending to the right in the shape of “ユ”, commonly referred to as the “protruding-head tong” (出頭通). Its walking radical is composed of two dots and a turning stroke, thus classified as “two-dot tong” (二點通).

The reverse bears the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᠠᠩ”, with “Bao” on the left and “Chang” on the right. The initial stroke of the “Bao” character is rendered as a smooth curve rather than a sharp angle. Both Manchu characters connect to the hole and the rim.

Minting in Jiangxi began in AD 1647 (Shunzhi Year 4), when the central government authorised coin production in several provinces, including Jiangxi. However, due to shortages of skilled labour and raw materials, coinage in Jiangxi during the Shunzhi and Kangxi reigns was frequently disrupted. In AD 1729 (Yongzheng Year 7), the Baochang Mint was formally established in Nanchang and designated as the province’s sole mint. Coinage resumed in AD 1737 using reclaimed private and obsolete coins as raw material. Thereafter, furnace operations were adjusted multiple times based on reserves, circulation needs, and production costs. During the Xianfeng reign (AD 1853–1855), amid warfare and fiscal stress, the state implemented a large-denomination coin policy; the Baochang Mint was instructed to issue “ten-wen” and “fifty-wen” coins, but minting ceased due to currency instability. In the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods, only a small number of xiaopingqian were produced. Traditional coinage came to an end following the establishment of a mechanised copper coin factory in AD 1902 (Guangxu Year 28).

The Qing dynasty’s coinage in Jiangxi exhibited three major characteristics: first, persistent shortages of raw materials and skilled mint workers, with the transportation of Yunnan copper difficult and local expertise insufficient, causing frequent disruptions in minting; second, the proliferation of low-value small coins, particularly in Nanchang and surrounding areas, hindered the circulation of standard coins, prompting government responses such as increasing furnace capacity and mandating the allocation of coins in official payments; third, private minting remained limited in scale and primarily involved the influx of small counterfeit coins from neighbouring provinces, while illicit local production was relatively rare. Overall, Jiangxi’s coinage system suffered from material constraints and regulatory imbalances.

The metal composition of Qianlong Tongbao coins varied by period and region. From AD 1736 to 1740 (Qianlong Years 1 to 5), the Baochang Mint followed regulations from the Yongzheng era and minted so-called “yellow coins” (黃錢), composed of 60% copper and 40% lead (a mix of lead and zinc). In AD 1740 (Qianlong Year 5), in response to widespread melting of coins by the public to forge utensils for profit, the composition was revised to 50% red copper, 41.5% white lead (zinc), 6.5% black lead, and 2% tin, producing what were termed “green coins” (青錢). All mints were instructed to adopt this formula. These green coins were reportedly brittle enough to shatter upon a single strike if melted and recast. However, excavated specimens suggest that yellow coins continued to be produced in notable quantities. By AD 1794 (Qianlong Year 59), the green coin formula was abandoned—likely due to the widespread dissemination of methods for illicitly recasting them—and the mint resumed production of yellow coins.

Emperor Qianlong, born Hongli of the Aisin Gioro clan, reigned from AD 1735 to 1796. Alongside the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors, he symbolised the height of Qing imperial prosperity. He implemented both cultural and military policies, compiled the “Complete Library of the Four Treasuries”, pacified the Dzungar and Muslim uprisings, and expanded the empire’s territory to its greatest historical extent. Styling himself as the “Old Man of Ten Perfect Victories”, he placed strong emphasis on Confucian governance and cultural policy. However, his later years were marked by extravagance and increasing political corruption, laying the groundwork for the dynasty’s subsequent decline.

物件編號: A2782

年代: 公元 1784-1794 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 24.4 x 24.4 x 1.2 mm

重量: 4.25 g

製造地: 江西省寶昌局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2019

這是清代乾隆帝，於乾隆四十九年至五十九年(公元1784至1794年)，由江西省南昌府錢局，即「寶昌局」，所鑄行之「乾隆通寶」。法重一錢二分(約合今4.3公克)，幣值為一文，亦稱為小平錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面錢文為漢字「乾隆通寶」楷書，由上至下，由右至左對讀。「乾」字「乙」旁寫為上短下長。；「寶」字「缶」旁寫為「尔」。四字均接穿連輪。「通」字「マ」旁寫為方頭通的「コ 」旁，「コ 」旁底橫向右突出寫為「ユ」旁，稱「出頭通」；「通」字「辶」旁點與折筆寫為二點，稱「二點通」。

錢背錢文為滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᠠᠩ」，即左「寶」右「昌」。滿文「寶」字字首寫為圓弧而非尖角，二字均接穿連輪。

清代江西鑄錢始於順治四年(公元1647年)，當時朝廷准許江西等地設局鼓鑄，然因缺乏匠役與原料，順治至康熙年間屢啟屢停。雍正七年(公元1729年)正式於南昌府設立寶昌局，為江西唯一鑄錢機構。乾隆二年(公元1737年)起復鑄，並以收回私鑄與舊錢為料鑄錢。。其後根據存量、流通狀況與成本考量多次增減停復爐座。咸豐年間(公元1853–1855年)因戰亂與財政壓力，推行大錢政策，寶昌局亦奉令鑄造當十與當五十等面值大錢，後因幣值混亂而停鑄。同治與光緒年間僅維持少量小平錢鑄造，至光緒二十八年(公元1902)設立機器銅元廠後，傳統制錢進入歷史。

清代江西錢法主要有三大特點：一是幣材與匠役短缺，滇銅運輸困難、本地工匠不足，致使鼓鑄時常中斷；二是小錢氾濫，南昌府及周邊足值制錢難以推行，政府透過增設爐座與強制搭放應對；三是私鑄規模小，主要為外省小錢流入所致，本地私鑄情形相對輕微。整體呈現鑄錢受限、錢法失衡的局面。

乾隆通寶的成色，按地區也各有差別，乾隆元年至五年(公元1736-1740年)，寶昌局襲雍正朝定例，鑄「黃錢」，以銅六鉛(鋅及鉛)四搭配。乾隆五年，由於民間毀錢鑄器以圖利的現象普遍，於是改以紅銅百分之五十、白鉛(鋅)百分之四十一點五、黑鉛百分之六點五、點錫百分之二的比例改鑄「青錢」，各錢局一體遵行，據稱若毀青錢鑄器則一擊即碎。但按出土實物，似乎仍鑄黃錢者仍有不少。乾隆五十九年(公元1794年)，或因民間改鑄青錢之新技術廣泛傳播，故廢青錢，復鑄黃錢。

乾隆帝，清高宗愛新覺羅弘曆，公元1735至1796年在位，乾隆與康、雍並為清朝盛世的象徵。他推行文治武功，編修《四庫全書》，平定準噶爾與回部叛亂，擴展帝國疆域至歷史高峰，以此自稱「十全老人」，並重視儒學與文化治理。晚年奢侈揮霍，政治日漸腐敗，為清朝衰退埋下伏筆。