1 Cash - Tongzhi 1866

Weight

1.4 g

Diameter

20 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Brass

Shape

Round with a round hole

Edge Type

Plain

Technique

Cast

Front design

Four Chinese ideograms read top to bottom, right to left.

Back design

Two Manchu words (read vertically) separated by the hole.

Year of Minting

1866

Emperor

Qing dynasty › Tongzhi (同治帝) (1861-1875)

Mint location

Monnaie de Paris , Paris (and Pessac starting 1973), France (864-date)

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Medal alignment ↑↑

Inscriptions

Obverse: 同 寶 通 治 Reverse: ᠪᠣᠣ ᠵᡝ

Context

These coins were struck in Paris, and were China's first struck coins. In 1866, Zuo Zongtang, governor-general of Fujian and Zhejiang, requested permission from the emperor to open a modern mint in the Fuzhou Naval Shipyard, which was being built by the French. Zuo Zongtang expected the request to be granted, so he asked the Paris mint to strike some trials, but the emperor rejected his request, and the mint was never opened. A total of 10 pieces have been made. As of 2022, six of them are traceable. Bibliography: Jun Li; 2022. “Tongzhi Tongbao pattern coin made by Monnaie de Paris”. Numismatique Asiatique, issue 41, pages 7-36. ISSN 2261-0545

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Patterns

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0