Item number: A2771

Year: AD 1736-1739

Material: Brass

Size: 25.3 x 25.4 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 4.0 g

Manufactured by: Bao Chuan Bureau, Chengdu

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 1736 and 1739 (Qianlong Years 1 to 4) by the Sichuan Provincial Mint in Chengdu, known as the Baochuan Mint. The coin follows the standard format of 1.2 qian (approximately 4.3 grams) in weight and carried a face value of one wen, commonly referred to as a “xiaopingqian” (small-denomination coin).

The coin conforms to the traditional Han cultural design of a round coin with a square hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Qianlong Tongbao” in regular script Chinese characters, read vertically from top to bottom and right to left. The “乾” character’s “乙” radical is rendered with a shorter upper stroke and a longer lower stroke. The “通” character’s “甬” radical begins with a stroke resembling “マ”, and its walking radical (“辶”) starts with two dots. The “寶” character’s “缶” radical is written as “尔”. None of the four characters connect to the inner square or the rim. The characters “隆” and “通” are linked to the rim, with the “通” character significantly larger than the others, a variation referred to as “large tong” (大通).

The reverse features the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᡠᠸᠠᠨ”, indicating “Bao” on the left and “Chuan” on the right. The initial stroke of the “Bao” character is angular rather than curved. Neither character connects to the rim, although the “Chuan” character links to the inner square.

The Baochuan Mint was the only provincial mint in Sichuan during the Qing dynasty. Its origins trace back to post-AD 1668, during the Kangxi reign, with the official designation “Baochuan” established in AD 1732 (Yongzheng Year 10). Initially equipped with eight furnaces and operating twenty-four production cycles annually, it was the sole mint in Sichuan authorised by the imperial government. The mint expanded significantly during the Qianlong era, due to increased copper production in Yunnan, and frequently supplied coinage to support military payrolls in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Hubei. In response to fiscal and military pressures, it began minting large-denomination coins such as “ten-wen” and “fifty-wen” during the Xianfeng period and later produced “hundred-wen” coins in the Tongzhi era. In the late Guangxu period, the mint transitioned to mechanised production and was formally dissolved in AD 1905 (Guangxu Year 31), becoming part of the provincial machinery bureau. Thus ended a minting history that had spanned 172 years since the Yongzheng reign. With a large and stable output, self-sufficiency in metallic resources, and its strategic location in southwestern China, the Baochuan Mint played a critical role in maintaining monetary order and supporting fiscal-military governance across the region.

The composition of Qianlong Tongbao coins varied regionally. Between AD 1736 and 1740 (Qianlong Years 1 to 5), the Baofu Mint in Fujian followed Yongzheng-era standards and minted “yellow coins” using a 60:40 ratio of copper to lead (including zinc). In AD 1740 (Qianlong Year 5), due to widespread practises of melting coins for illicit casting of utensils, a new formula was adopted to produce “green coins”: 50% red copper, 41.5% white lead (zinc), 6.5% black lead, and 2% tin. All mints were required to adopt this composition. These green coins were reputed to shatter easily when melted. However, archaeological finds suggest that yellow coins continued to be minted in significant quantities. In AD 1794 (Qianlong Year 59), the green coin standard was abolished, likely due to the widespread dissemination of private recasting techniques, and production of yellow coins resumed.

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

物件編號: A2771

年代: 公元 1736-1739 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 25.3 x 25.4 x 1.1 mm

重量: 4.0 g

製造地: 四川省寶川局，成都

來源: 大城郵幣社 2019

這是清代乾隆帝，於乾隆元年至四年(公元1736至1739年)，由成都之四川省錢局，即「寶川局」，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；「通」字「甬」旁字首寫為「マ」；「通」字「辶」旁字首寫為二點；「寶」字「缶」旁寫為「尔」。四字均未接穿連輪。「隆、通」字連輪。「通」字較大，稱「大通」。

錢背錢文為滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠴᡠᠸᠠᠨ」，即左「寶」右「川」。滿文「寶」字字首寫為尖角而非圓弧，二字均未連輪，「川」字接穿。

寶川局為清代四川省唯一的省級鑄錢局，其鑄錢歷史始於康熙七年(公元1668年)後，初設於成都府。雍正十年(公元1732年)正式定名為「寶川局」，設爐八座，每年二十四卯，成為清廷授權四川唯一可鑄錢之機構。乾隆年間，由於滇銅增產，寶川局進入擴張期，屢增爐座，並常協濟陝西、甘肅、湖北等省兵餉。咸豐年間因戰事吃緊，開始鑄造當十、當五十等大錢，至同治年間亦曾鑄當百錢。光緒晚期，寶川局轉型為機械化造幣廠，至光緒三十一年(公元1905年)正式裁撤，改隸機器局，結束其自雍正以來長達172年的鑄錢歷史。寶川局不僅規模大、鑄量穩，且川省幣材自給，加之地處西南交通要衝，對維持西部地區錢法秩序與軍政財政穩定具重要作用。

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)，寶福局襲雍正朝定例，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。