Item number: A2769

Year: AD 1740-1750

Material: Brass

Size: 24.9 x 24.9 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 5.25 g

Manufactured by: Bao Fu Bureau, Fuzhou

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2019

This coin was issued under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, minted between AD 1740 and 1750 (Qianlong Years 5 to 15) by the Baofu Mint located in Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian 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, commonly referred to as a “xiaopingqian” (small-denomination coin).

The coin adopts the traditional Han cultural form of a round coin with a square hole. The obverse inscription, in regular script Chinese characters, reads “Qianlong Tongbao” from top to bottom, right to left. The “乾” character’s “乙” radical is rendered with a shorter upper stroke and a longer lower stroke; the “寶” character’s “缶” radical is written as “尔”. All four characters are disconnected from both the rim and the inner square. The “通” character’s right radical “甬” begins with a triangular stroke resembling “マ”, commonly referred to as “triangle tong” (三角通); the “辶” radical is composed of a single dot connected to a turning stroke, categorised as “single-dot tong” (單點通).

The reverse bears the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᡶᡠ”, representing “Bao” on the left and “Fu” on the right. The initial stroke of the “Bao” character is curved rather than angular. Both Manchu characters connect to the rim, with “Bao” also connected to the inner square. The surface exhibits clear filing and polishing marks, indicating that the specimen was either uncirculated or saw minimal circulation.

The Baofu Mint was preceded by the establishment of the Fujian Provincial Mint in Fuzhou in AD 1649 (Shunzhi Year 6). In AD 1739 (Qianlong Year 4), it was relocated to Weixiangkou and officially re-established in AD 1740 (Qianlong Year 5), primarily to address severe monetary shortages and high coin prices in Taiwan, which was then under Fujian’s administration. The mint initially operated eight furnaces and produced green coins (青錢) using a mixture of Yunnan copper, white lead, black lead, and refined tin. It maintained a stable output of over 40,000 strings per year. Coinage continued relatively consistently through the Qianlong to Daoguang periods, though frequently interrupted due to difficulties in sourcing copper and the high cost of minting. In AD 1824 (Daoguang Year 4), production was partially halted due to the adverse exchange rate between silver and copper coins, as well as rising transport and labour costs. During the Xianfeng period (from AD 1853), in response to fiscal pressures caused by the Taiping Rebellion, Baofu became the first mint in the empire to trial the production of large-denomination coins, such as the “ten-wen” and “fifty-wen” types, later formalised across other provinces. In AD 1855 (Xianfeng Year 5), due to copper shortages, the mint also cast iron coins, making it one of the few provincial mints to do so. However, these iron coins proved impractical in circulation, and the Baofu Mint effectively ceased operations. It was not until the Guangxu period that coinage resumed under newly established mechanised mints for copper coins and silver dollars. In AD 1905 (Guangxu Year 31), the mint was reorganised as the Fujian Branch of the Ministry of Revenue Mint.

The metal composition of Qianlong Tongbao coins varied by region. From AD 1736 to 1740 (Qianlong Years 1 to 5), Baofu followed Yongzheng-era regulations and minted “yellow coins” using a ratio of 60% copper to 40% lead (including zinc). In AD 1740, due to the widespread practice of melting coins to cast utensils for profit, the formula was changed to “green coins”, composed of 50% red copper, 41.5% white lead (zinc), 6.5% black lead, and 2% tin. All mints were ordered to comply with the revised alloy. These green coins were reputedly fragile enough to shatter upon melting. However, archaeological finds suggest that yellow coins continued to be produced in significant numbers. In AD 1794 (Qianlong Year 59), likely due to the widespread diffusion of private techniques for recasting green coins, the green coin standard was abolished, and yellow coin production resumed.

Emperor Qianlong, known by his personal name Hongli of the Aisin Gioro clan, reigned from AD 1735 to 1796. Together with the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors, he represented the zenith of Qing imperial power. He implemented both civil and military reforms, compiled the “Complete Library of the Four Treasuries”, pacified the Dzungar and Muslim uprisings, and expanded the empire’s borders to their historical maximum. He styled himself as the “Old Man of Ten Perfect Victories” and placed significant emphasis on Confucian governance and cultural administration. However, his later years were marked by extravagance and increasing political corruption, laying the groundwork for the eventual decline of the Qing dynasty.

物件編號: A2769

年代: 公元 1740-1750 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 24.9 x 24.9 x 1.3 mm

重量: 5.25 g

製造地: 福建省寶福局，福州

來源: 大城郵幣社 2019

這是清代乾隆帝，於乾隆五年至十五年(公元1740至1750年)，由福建省福州府錢局，即「寶福局」，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」。四字均未接穿連輪。「通」字「甬」旁字首寫為「マ」，稱「三角通」；「通」字「辶」旁點與折筆寫為一點下接折筆，稱「單點通」。

錢背錢文為滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᡶᡠ」，即左「寶」右「福」。滿文「寶」字字首寫為圓弧而非尖角，二字均連輪，「寶」字接穿。表面有明顯磨銼痕跡，應為未流通或少流通品。

寶福局的前身為順治六年(公元1649年)設立於福州的福建省錢局，乾隆四年(公元1739年)遷至衛巷口，並於乾隆五年(公元1740年)正式設局，設立目的主要為因應台灣錢價高昂、兵民困窘的情況。初設八座錢爐，以滇銅與白鉛、黑鉛、點錫配比鼓鑄青錢，每年二十四卯，年產四萬餘串。乾隆至道光年間鑄錢相對穩定，然因銅源困難、成本高昂，屢遭暫停。道光四年(公元1824年)因銀貴錢賤、運費與虧損問題局部停鑄，之後多次復停。咸豐年間(公元1853 年起)，由於太平天國勢起，在軍費吃緊背景下，寶福局率先於全國試鑄大錢如當十、當五十，後亦奉命鋪開；另於咸豐五年(公元1855年)因缺銅轉而鼓鑄鐵錢，成為少數鑄造鐵錢的省局之一，但因鐵錢難以行用，寶福局及錢廠已實質上停擺。直至光緒年間始另以機器局開鑄機製銅錢與銀元，後於光緒三十一年(公元1905年)統一為「度支部造幣廠閩廠」。

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。