清代云南铜矿垄断经营利润的考察

A Study of the Profitability of Yunnan Copper Monopoly in the Qing Dynasty

清政府对云南铜矿实行高度垄断经营的政策,即以低于商品自由贸易市场数倍的价格收购矿铜,又以相对较高的价格将矿铜批发给各铸钱局,通过统购统销来赚取价差,获得了大量垄断利润"铜息"。低价矿铜用于铸钱,极大地降低了铸钱成本,各铸钱局获得了丰厚的"铸息"。不仅如此,各铸钱局利用商品货币市场铜钱价格的高昂,通过出售铜钱或搭放兵饷等途径,最大限度地扩大"铸息"。"铜息"是清政府对云南铜矿实行垄断经营的直接利润,"铸息"是铜矿垄断经营的间接利润,是铜矿垄断利润向铸钱利润的转移。

The Qing government implemented the policy of the strictly monopolized the operation of Yunnan copper mines, buying the copper for several times lower than the free-market price and wholesaling at relatively higher prices to coinage agencies. By earning the price differences of the centralized buying and selling, the government got a great deal of monopoly profit--the so-called ＂Copper Interest. ＂ By using the cheaper copper obtained at below-market prices, the coinage agencies reduced the coinage cost vastly and secured rich rewards--the so-called ＂ Coinage Interest. ＂ Furthermore, coinage agencies maximized the ＂Coinage Interest＂ through approaches such as selling coins or offering military pay, and taking advantage of the high market price of copper coins. ＂Copper Interest＂ was direct profit to the Qing government that resulted from the monopolized operation of Yunnan copper mines. ＂ Coinage Interest＂ was the indirect profit of the copper monopoly, which was the transfer of profit from copper monopoly to coinage.