page_title: Zhiqian
section_title: Qing dynasty
hierarchical_section_title: Zhiqian / Qing dynasty
caption_attribution_description: Une monnaie en bronze ou en cuivre d'une sapèque (1 cash) de l'empereur Shi Zu (1644-1661), ère Shun Zhi de la dynastie Qing (1644-1912) pour l'atelier du Yunnan. La monnaie se lit en croix. A/ Shun Zhi tong bao (Monnaie courante de Shun Zhi) R/ Yi li à gauche (1 li) Yun à droite Dimension&#160;: 25,12 mm Poids&#160;: 3,05 g. Remarque&#160;: Cette monnaie a été émise entre 1659 et 1661 par le général Wu Sangui après avoir repris le Yunnan au prince Yongming. La monnaie est bien abîmée. Référence&#160;: H22.66 Indice de rareté&#160;: 13, très commune d'après D.Hartill.
context_page_description: Standard cash, or regulation cash coins, is a term used during the Ming and Qing dynasties of China to refer to standard issue copper-alloy cash coins produced in imperial Chinese mints according to weight and composition standards that were fixed by the imperial government. The term was first used for Hongwu Tongbao cash coins following the abolition of large denomination versions of this cash coin series.
context_section_description: Prior to the Manchu conquest of China, the Later Jin dynasty already produced its own cash coins with the inscriptions Abkai fulingga han jiha (ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ
  ᡶᡠᠯᡳᠩᡤᠠ
  ᡥᠠᠨ
  ᠵᡳᡴᠠ), Tianming Tongbao (天命通寶), and Sure han ni jiha (ᠰᡠᡵᡝ
  ᡥᠠᠨ
  ᠨᡳ
  ᠵᡳᡴᠠ).
  During the Qing dynasty period, the Chinese monetary system was a bimetallic system where both copper-alloy cash coins and silver circulated simultaneously. The copper-alloy currency during most of the Qing dynasty period consisted solely of cash coins with a denomination of 1 wén, which could be strung together into strings of 1,000 cash coins for larger payments. While strings officially consisted of 1,000 cash coins, normally it would contain only around 980 copper-alloy cash coins. Because all copper-alloy cash coins of the Qing dynasty had both uniform shapes and weights, the denomination of the cash coins were not written down anywhere on the coins themselves, this was because for most of their history, a cash coin was always valued at 1 wén and payments were processed by counting the number of cash coins. The government of the Qing dynasty monopolised the production of copper-alloy cash coins, which constituted less than 20% of the total money circulating in China at the time, as well as the mining of copper, while the government allowed for the market to determine the price of silver.
  Following capture of Beijing by the Manchus from the Shun dynasty in the year 1644, the government of the Qing dynasty established two imperial mints, one under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue and one under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Works. The standard cash coins produced at the Ministry of Revenue mint would later bear the Manchu mint mark "ᠪᠣᠣ
  ᠴᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ" (Boo Ciowan) and those cast at the Ministry of Public Works mint would have the Manchu mint mark "ᠪᠣᠣ
  ᠶᡠᠸᠠᠨ" (Boo Yuwan). The Qing government then further stipulated that every province should establish their own provincial mint for the production of copper-alloy cash coins.
  Standard copper-alloy cash coins were cast by using models, known as fanzhu (笵鑄), in these state-operated mints, of which there were two in the city of Beijing, and one in almost each provincial capital city. Zhiqian were to be produced in casting rounds, known as mǎo (卯), these casting rounds had a predefined number of cash coins to be produced, copying the imperial standard with their exact standardised dimensions and metallic compositions. The obverse side of the standard cash coin would always contain the current reign era name with "Tongbao" (通寶) inscribed on it.
  The initial alloy was fixed at 70% copper, known as hongtong (紅銅) and 30% of zinc, known as baiqian (白鉛). The two imperial mints in Beijing were the only places where official standard cash coins were manufactured during the early years of the Qing dynasty period. The later official alloy was altered to 60% copper and 40% zinc and/or lead, but the actual compositions would de facto be determined by the private market, causing the government of the Qing dynasty to alter the official copper-alloy of the Zhiqian over time.
  During the Shunzhi period another type of Zhiqian known as the Yiliqian (一厘錢, "one-cash coin"), referred to as Zheyinqian (折銀錢, "conversion coins") by Chinese numismatists, was cast, this term was used to designate Shunzhi Tongbao cash coins produced from the year 1653 that had the inscription "一厘" on the left to the square centre hole on their reverse sides, this inscription indicates that the nominal value of the cash coin corresponded to 0.001 tael of silver (1 li (釐 or 厘, "cash"), as a weight). This would mean that the official government conversation rate was set as zhé yín yì lí qián (折銀一厘錢), which was proof that silver was of continuing importance as a currency of account. Similar cash coins with this reverse inscription were also being produced by some rulers of the Southern Ming dynasty.
  Until the Kangxi Tongbao (康熙通寶) the official composition of the Zhiqian remained at 60% copper and 40% zinc and/or lead, the Yongzheng Tongbao (雍正通寶) cash coins had a composition of
caption: A Shunzhi Tongbao (順治通寶) standard cash coin with an official silver exchange rate set at the value of 1 cash (weight) in silver.
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