Item number: A2776

Year: AD 1736-1794

Material: Brass

Size: 24.6 x 24.6 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 3.5 g

Manufactured by: Bao Su Bureau, Suzhou

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2019

This is a “Qianlong Tongbao” coin issued under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, likely produced between the first and fifty-ninth years of his reign (AD 1736 to 1794) by the Suzhou Mint in Jiangsu Province, known as the “Baosu Bureau”. The coin has a standard weight of 1 qian 2 fen (approximately 4.3 grams) and a face value of one wen, also referred to as a “small flat coin”.

The coin conforms to the traditional Han cultural design of a round coin with a square central hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Qianlong Tongbao” in regular script Chinese characters, arranged vertically from top to bottom and read from right to left. The character “乾” has a component written with a short upper and long lower stroke; the “甬” radical in “通” begins with the shape “マ”; the “辶” radical starts with two dots; and the “缶” component in “寶” is rendered using the form “尔”. All four characters connect to the central hole, while “隆” and “寶” also touch the coin’s rim.

The reverse side bears the Manchu inscription “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠰᡠ”, representing “Bao” on the left and “Su” on the right. Both characters appear unconnected to the hole and rim. The Manchu character for “Su” is longer, and the final stroke forms a larger arc, ending with a straight dot on the right.

The outer rim on both the obverse and reverse is broad, particularly so on the reverse. In general, coins with broad rims could still circulate in the market, but were often created for special purposes. Some scholars speculate this coin may have served as a pattern coin; however, given the relatively shallow engraving, it is unlikely to be a finely made casting. Others believe it might have been presented as a gift from the mint to workers or officials during festive occasions.

Following the establishment of Jiangsu Province by the Qing court in the seventh year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1668), the Baosu Bureau was established in Suzhou under the direction of Provincial Governor Ling Pengnian. It was situated at the former Ming dynasty Yongfeng Granary site, in the southern part of the Taohuawu district within Suzhou’s city walls. In the ninth year of Kangxi (AD 1670), minting ceased for the first time due to a shortage of copper and the clogging of coin inscriptions. Thereafter, minting operations resumed and halted intermittently under successive reigns. During the Xianfeng period, large-denomination coins were produced for fiscal needs, but the approach of the Taiping Rebellion in the lower Yangtze region forced the Baosu Bureau to temporarily shut down. It resumed operations in the third year of the Tongzhi reign (AD 1864) and continued until the end of the Guangxu reign, frequently operating at a loss due to copper policy challenges and high labour costs.

The composition of Qianlong Tongbao coins varied by region. The materials used relied largely on imported and Yunnan copper, and underwent several policy changes. From the Kangxi to Qianlong reigns, copper procurement transitioned to a model involving cooperation between official and private merchants. Some foreign copper was managed through customs offices in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Between the first and fifth years of Qianlong’s reign (AD 1736–1740), the Baosu Bureau followed standards established under Emperor Yongzheng and minted “yellow coins” using a mixture of 60% copper and 40% lead (including both zinc and lead). In the fifth year of Qianlong’s reign, due to widespread practises of melting coins for private tools and profits, the coinage formula was revised to cast “green coins” with a composition of 50% red copper, 41.5% white lead (zinc), 6.5% black lead, and 2% tin. All mint bureaus were ordered to adopt this formula. It was claimed that green coins, when repurposed for casting tools, would shatter with a single strike. However, archaeological finds suggest that yellow coins continued to be minted in substantial numbers. In the fifty-ninth year of Qianlong’s reign (AD 1794), possibly due to the widespread dissemination of new private green coin recasting technologies, green coins were abolished and yellow coin production resumed.

Emperor Qianlong, Aisin Gioro Hongli, reigned from AD 1735 to 1796. Along with Kangxi and Yongzheng, he symbolised the high point of Qing imperial prosperity. He advanced both civil administration and military campaigns, overseeing the compilation of the “Siku Quanshu”, suppressing the Dzungar and Hui rebellions, and expanding the empire’s territory to its historical peak. He referred to himself as the “Perfect Old Man” and placed great emphasis on Confucian learning and cultural governance. However, his later years were marked by extravagance and administrative decay, laying the groundwork for the Qing dynasty’s eventual decline.

物件編號: A2776

年代: 公元 1736-1794 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 24.6 x 24.6 x 0.9 mm

重量: 3.5 g

製造地: 寶蘇局，蘇州

來源: 大城郵幣社 2019

這是清代乾隆帝，應於乾隆元年至五十九年(公元1736至1794年)，由江蘇省蘇州府局，即「寶蘇局」，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」。四字均接穿，「隆、寶」連輪。

錢背錢文為滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠰᡠ」，即左「寶」右「蘇」。二字均似未接穿連輪。滿文「蘇」字較長，末筆形成之圓亦較長，右側點為直點。

錢正背外輪皆寬，錢背尤寬。一般而言，闊輪錢雖然也能投入市場行用，但多半是為特殊目的所打造。一些學者猜測此錢為樣錢，但以樣錢來說，此錢地章不深，大概翻砂的產品也無法太精緻。另一些學者猜測此錢為年節時錢局贈予錢工或管理人員的禮物。

清康熙七年(公元1668年)，清廷設立江蘇省後，在蘇州設立寶蘇局，由布政使伶彭年籌建，局址位於蘇州市城內桃花塢南部原明代永豐倉舊址。康熙九年(公元1670年)因銅源短缺與錢文淤積首次停鑄，後各朝接時停時復。咸豐年間鑄大錢以供財用，但因太平天國進逼長江下游，寶蘇局一度停爐，其後於同治三年(公元1864年)再開爐，直至光緒末年方停。因銅政與人力成本之故，經常虧損。

乾隆通寶的成色，按地區也各有差別，所用原料多依賴洋銅與滇銅，並歷經多次政策變更：康熙至乾隆年間改採官商與民商合作方式採辦，部分洋銅亦由江浙關口負責。乾隆元年至五年(公元1736-1740年)，寶蘇局襲雍正朝定例，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。