The Series of Xianfeng Coin Formats—Self-Collected and Self-Excavated Collection of Xianfeng Coins

Author: Qi Zongyou (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: The Xianfeng era (1851-1861) of the Qing Dynasty was another period of extremely chaotic currency system in Chinese history, following the Wang Mang's policy of issuing various types of currency. During this time, after the Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion rose, and the country faced frequent internal and external crises. Military affairs flourished, and national finances grew increasingly strained. In the third year of the Xianfeng era, the Ministry of Revenue began to cast large coins to meet the state's expenses. Subsequently, numerous local minting bureaus petitioned to establish factories and furnaces. Over a decade, currency policies changed rapidly, leading to a complex and disordered coinage system. Coin values ranged from small to large denominations, but due to repeated debasement, they exhibited inverted weight relationships and significant weight disparities. In addition to paper money, the materials used for coins included copper, iron, and lead. Such a diverse range of coins has brought endless joy to coin experts and enthusiasts in collecting and studying them. Mr. Qi Zongyou has dedicated over two decades to the study of Xianfeng-era coins, excelling in both collection and ink rubbing. He has amassed over a thousand pieces of actual coins. Through long-term observation and comparison, he discovered that some coins of different denominations cast by the same bureau often shared identical minting features, forming their own systems. He was the first to propose the term "series by minting style." This method of classifying coins by minting style, rather than simply listing their features by denomination as in previous coin catalogs, is more scientific and systematic. This book is a of this research achievement. Another feature of the book is that each coin is labeled with its dimensions, thickness, and weight, providing readers with more original data and reference information. We believe that the publication of "Series by Minting Style of Xianfeng Coins—A Collection of Self-Collected and Self-Rubbed Xianfeng Coins" will undoubtedly be well-received by a broad readership.