This type of coin, cast in brass with a square hole at the centre, were the standard type coin of China for thousands of years. They were copied in Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Chinese merchants took them throughout Asia and to Australia during the gold rush era. They are commonly found on the Victorian goldfields and turn up regularly in archaeological excavations in Melbourne's Chinatown district.

Click to enlarge. (86kb)

Click to enlarge. (76kb)


Obverse – The Chinese legend Tao-kuang T'ung-pao around a square hole. This is a coin of the sixth Ch'ing emperor, Hsuan Tsung. Coins of this type are commonly called 'cash'. They were cast with this legend from 1821 until 1851.		Reverse – Manchu legend for the mint of the Board of Revenue in Beijing.

Transferred from National Gallery of Victoria, 1976