Qianlong Tongbao
Years of minting | 1735–1796 (1912)[a] |
---|---|
Obverse | |
Design | Qianlong Tongbao (乾隆通寳) |
Reverse | |
Design | See below. |
Qianlong Tongbao (
As a reminder to the people of
History
During the first few years of the reign of the
The Qianlong era saw the founding of the
By the end of the Qianlong era Yunnan's copper mines started depleting. Thus, the production of cash coins was lowered by the end of the Qianlong era, and the copper content was debased once more. In 1794, all provincial mints were forced to close their doors, but, they were subsequently reopened in 1796.[3]
Qianlong coinage in Xinjiang
Pūl-based "red cash coins" in the Southern Circuit
In the summer of 1759, the government of the Qing dynasty finished
At the introduction of red cash system in Southern Xinjiang in 1760, the exchange rate of standard cash (or "yellow cash") and "red cash" was set at 10 standard cash coins were worth 1 "red cash coin". During two or three subsequent years this exchange rate was decreased to 5:1. When used in the Northern or Eastern circuits of Xinjiang, the "red cash coins" were considered equal in value as the standard cash coins that circulated there. The areas where the Dzungar pūls had most circulated such as
The Western cities of the Southern Circuit were poor in natural copper sources and required the reclamation of pūl coins for the production of cash coins while in the Eastern cities of the Southern Circuit such as
Cash coins in the Northern and Eastern Circuits of Xinjiang
As the Northern and Eastern Circuits of Xinjiang were mostly inhabited with bartering nomads who did not have a monetary tradition the government of the Qing dynasty did not force these peoples to adopt the monetary system of China. These regions also saw an influx of immigrants from China proper who brought with them their own money and in the Eastern Circuit the local population had already adopted the Chinese monetary culture prior to its conquest by the Qing dynasty so these two circuits would use the same type of cash coins as were used in China proper and did not have to adopt a completely different monetary system. Cash coins from China proper flowed in large numbers to these regions.[4]
The first mint in the Northern Circuit was opened in the city of Yining which was both the military and administrative of the region. It is unclear whether the Yining Mint opened in 1764 (as argued by the Chinese numismatist Ding Fubao) or in 1775. The Yining Mint had a total of twenty-one buildings and its technical staff included two employees from Shaanxi who supervised the local production of Qianlong Tongbao cash coins in Yining. Generally the cash produced by the Yining Mint were of the same weight and size as found in the rest of China and also used the same alloys, but the copper content of Yining cash coins was occasionally higher and the weight of these coins often exceeded the national standard and could weigh more than 5 grams. In the year 1776 a large amount of copper ore was discovered in the proximity of Yining city leading to an increased output of the Yining Mint.[4]
Qianlong Tongbao cash coins produced in Xinjiang after the Qianlong era
As the Qianlong Emperor ordered in 1775 that 20% of all cash coins cast in Xinjiang should bear the inscription "Qianlong Tongbao" even after the end of his reign as an "eternal reminder" of the Manchu conquest of the region, for this reason the majority of "red cash coins" with this inscription were actually produced after the Qianlong era as their production lasted until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 making many of them hard to attribute. Under the Jiaqing Emperor the cash coins produced by the Aksu Mint continued using the description "Qianlong Tongbao" and made up 20% of all cash coins produced in this era in Aksu. The ratio of Qianlong Tongbao cash coins produced in Xinjiang after the death of the Qianlong Emperor increased at certain times to 30% or even 40%. As so many Qianlong Tongbao cash coins were produced in Xinjiang until 1911 the vast majority of Xinjiang cash coins with this inscription were produced after the Qianlong period.[4]
Changes in the manufacturing process
Ancestor coins (
Mint marks
List of mint marks:[11]
Mint mark | Möllendorff[b] | Place of minting | Province |
Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ |
Boo Ciowan | Ministry of Revenue (hùbù, 戶部), Beijing | Zhili | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ |
Boo Yuwan | Ministry of Public Works (gōngbù, 工部), Beijing | Zhili | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡶᡠ |
Boo Fu | Fuzhou | Fujian | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡠᠸᠠᠩ |
Boo Guwang | Guangzhou | Guangdong | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡠᡳ |
Boo Gui | Guilin | Guangxi | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ |
Boo Giyan | Guiyang | Guizhou | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠨᠠᠨ |
Boo Nan | Changsha | Hunan | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᡠ |
Boo Su | Suzhou | Jiangsu | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᠠᠩ |
Boo Chang | Nanchang | Jiangxi | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡳ |
Boo Ji | Jinan | Shandong | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡳᠨ |
Boo Jin | Taiyuan | Shanxi | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᠠᠨ |
Boo San | Xi'an | Shaanxi | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡠᠸᠠᠨ |
Boo Chuwan | Chengdu | Sichuan | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡡᠨ |
Boo Yūn | Various cities | Yunnan | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡝ |
Boo Je | Hangzhou | Zhejiang | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡷᡳ |
Boo Jyi | Baoding | Zhili | |
ᠠᡴᠰᡠ ئاقسۇ | Aksu Ak̡su | Aksu |
Xinjiang | |
阿 ᠠᡴᠰᡠ ئاقسۇ |
Ā Aksu Ak̡su | Aksu |
Xinjiang | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡳ |
Boo I | Ghulja |
Xinjiang | |
庫 局 ᡴᡠᠴᡝ كۇچار | Kù Jú Kuche Kucha | Kucha |
Xinjiang | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᡴᡠᠴᡝ |
Boo Kuche | Kucha[c] | Xinjiang | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ |
Boo Ciowan | Kucha | Xinjiang | |
ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ |
Boo Yuwan | Kucha | Xinjiang | |
庫 十 ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ |
Kù Shí Boo Ciowan | Kucha | Xinjiang | |
庫 十 ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ |
Kù Shí Boo Yuwan | Kucha | Xinjiang | |
喀 什 ᠪᠣᠣ ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ |
Kā Shí Boo Ciowan | Kucha[d] | Xinjiang | |
喀 十 ᠪᠣᠣ ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ |
Kā Shí Boo Yuwan | Kucha[e] | Xinjiang | |
ᡠᠰᡥᡳ ئۇچتۇرپان | Ushi Uchturpan | Uši | Xinjiang | |
ᠶᡝᡵᡴᡳᠶᠠᠩ يەكەن | Yerkiyang Yəkən | Yarkant | Xinjiang |
Qianlong Tongbao charms
There is a type of Chinese numismatic charm with the inscription Qianlong Tongbao which might have been cast during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor which is 56 millimeters in diameter and has a thickness of just slightly more than 3 millimeters. The Chinese characters of this amulet are also different style from those of circulating Qianlong Tongbao cash coins, such as the bottom part of the "Bao" (寶) and the radical portion of the "Tong" (通). The Manchu characters on the reverse side of this amulet indicate that it was manufactured at the Ministry of Revenue Mint in Beijing. However, these Manchu characters appear to be very large compared to other Manchu mint marks and are rotated 90 degrees clockwise. The intention of this may have had political motivations but the meaning of why this was done remains unclear today.[12]
Another method how Qianlong Tongbao cash coins are used as charms is by stringing them together in the shape of a sword, these amulets are referred to as "Chinese coin swords", these Chinese coin swords consist of either one or two iron rods which are used as their foundation and the Qianlong Tongbao coins (but sometimes other inscriptions may also be used) are fastened with a red string, cord, or wire. A Chinese coin sword is usually about 60 centimeter long and typically consists of around one hundred bronze Chinese cash coins.[13][14] One of these Chinese coin swords made with Qianlong Tongbao cash coins is in the collection of the British Museum.[15]
Coin dragon
At the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City, Beijing there is a coin dragon (traditional Chinese: 錢龍; simplified Chinese: 钱龙; pinyin: Qián lóng) made of Qianlong Tongbao cash coins, these cash coins are all about 2.8 centimeters in diameter and are identical in every way to those that were minted for normal circulation.[16][17] But as none of the Qianlong Tongbao used for this coin dragon show any wear it seems that these were all freshly cast for the creation of this sculpture.[16][17]
The coin dragon's backboard is composed of paperboard on which a colourful Chinese dragon is painted. The strings of Qianlong Tongbao cash coins create the form of a Chinese dragon, these cash coins are attached to the paperboard backboard and Hall of Mental Cultivation's roof beam by "gold-plated round-head copper nails".[16][17] The coin dragon is 182 centimeters (5.97 ft) in length and 47 cm (1.5 ft) in height.[16][17]
According to Mr. Zhou Qian (周乾), a researcher at the Palace Museum, the Qianlong Tongbao coin dragon could be described as "About 2 meters long, mighty and shocking with fierce teeth and dancing claws, creating clouds and driving the mist" (该钱龙长约2米,张牙舞爪,做腾云驾雾状,形象威武,极具震慑感。).[16][17]
As no known historical documents recorded the existence of this coin dragon it is possible that it was in fact meant to remain a secret hidden away from sight.[16][17]
The coin dragon was likely installed during a Shang Liang (traditional Chinese: 上樑; simplified Chinese: 上梁; pinyin: Shàng liáng) ceremony, this is evident of the remnants of the red silk satin from this topping-out ceremony which occurred several centuries ago. Shang Liang ceremonies were the main roof beam of a palace building was raised and installed.[16][17] During these ceremonies Good luck charms, which frequently included cash coins, would traditionally be attached to one of the palace's roof beams in order to provide protection from evil spirits, fire, and other potential disasters. There would also be good luck charms that included wishes for peace and good fortune.[16][17] The coin dragon thus serves as the supreme representation of the Chinese belief in numismatic charms as objects with supernatural powers which are able to defeat ghosts and demons, deter disastrous events, and bring both peace and good luck to those in possession of them.[16][17]
While dragons had been symbols of imperial authority for centuries this is the only coin dragon ever known to have been created in the history of the Chinese Empire.[16][17] The reason why a coin dragon was created during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor was because the Mandarin word for "Coin dragon" (Qián lóng) sounds like the reign name of the emperor (Qián lóng) meaning that it was seen as a fitting tribute to the supreme authority of the Qing empire and as it was made of cash coins it could be seen as a symbol of wealth to represent the power and prosperity of the Qing.[16][17]
What remains an unsolved mystery is the fact that every leg of the coin dragon only has 4 claws on each leg as opposed to five, as imperial dragons are typically five-clawed as only the emperor and his immediate family could display five-claw dragons, while three-clawed and four-clawed dragons were symbols of government officials below the emperor.[16]
Battle of Ngọc Hồi-Đống Đa issues
After the
See also
Notes
- ^ In Xinjiang coins bearing the inscription Qián Lóng Tōng Bǎo (乾隆通寶) continued to be produced until the fall of the Qing dynasty to commemorate the regions annexation under the Qianlong Emperor, 1 in every 5 coins cast in Xinjiang bear this inscription regardless of era.
- Traditional Chinese and Arabic scriptsare transliterated using their respective romanisations.
- ^ all Guangxu period issues.
- ^ These cash coins were all minted in Kucha for circulation in Kashgar.
- ^ These cash coins were all minted in Kucha for circulation in Kashgar.
References
- ^ "Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 § Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911)". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ Ulrich Theobald (13 April 2016). "Qing Period Money". Chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ^ Hartill 2005, p. 296.
- ^ a b c d e f The Náprstek museum XINJIANG CAST CASH IN THE COLLECTION OF THE NÁPRSTEK MUSEUM, PRAGUE. by Ondřej Klimeš (ANNALS OF THE NÁPRSTEK MUSEUM 25 • PRAGUE 2004). Retrieved: 28 August 2018.
- ^ Coin.shouxi.com 清钱名珍:祺祥重宝源十母钱 方孔钱最后高峰 http://www.shouxi.com 2013-08-31 10:12 首席收藏网 发表评论. Retrieved: 02 July 2018.
- ^ "The Production Process of Older Chinese Coins。". Admin for Chinesecoins.com (Treasures & Investments). 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ 2 Click COINS How were ancient Chinese coins made. Retrieved: 29 June 2017.
- ^ "Qi Xiang Tong Bao Engraved Mother Coin". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 24 December 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ Shouxi.com Lot:14103020 清代祺祥通宝宝源小平雕母 美品. Retrieved: 02 July 2018.
- ^ Taiwan Wiki (台灣Wiki) - 台灣Wiki>百科分類>貨幣>商業>中國錢幣>雕母[permanent dead link]. Retrieved: 02 July 2018.
- ^ Hartill 2005, pp. 296–316.
- ^ "Chinese Charms with Coin Inscriptions – 錢文錢。". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ "Swords and Amulets". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ Justus Doolittle (edited and revised by Paxton Hood), “Social Life of the Chinese. A Daguerrotype of Daily Life in China” (London: Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, 1868). Pages 563 to 565.
- ^ The British Museum - Chinese coin sword. Retrieved: 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Coin Dragon". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 4 February 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zhou Qian (周乾). "故宫"梁上"之龙. - 养性殿房梁上的钱龙 王子林供图" (in Chinese (China)). Science and Technology Daily. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f François Thierry de Crussol (蒂埃里) (14 September 2015). "Monnaies de l'occupation chinoise (1788-1789) - Qian Long tongbao 乾隆通寶 coins of the Chinese occupation (1788-1789)" (in French). TransAsiart. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ ED. TODA. (Shanghai, Qing dynasty 1882) ANNAM and its minor currency Archived 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved: 15 October 2018.
Sources
- Hartill, David (September 22, 2005). Cast Chinese Coins. ISBN 978-1412054669.
- Hartill, David, Qing cash, Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication 37, London, 2003.
External links
- Qianlongtongbao.com, a website dedicated to cash coins with this inscription. (in Mandarin Chinese)