清代民间舆论对洋银流通的认知与因应

Public's cognition and response on the inflow of foreign silver dollars in Qing dynasty

明末清初,外国机制标准化的银元开始大量进入东南沿海商埠,逐渐成为对外贸易的结算货币,内陆及边疆地区亦行用日广。对社会各界的关注重点进行文献梳理和分析总结,发现当时民间舆论对洋银流入的认知和应因大致可分为3个层面,首先是从流通传播层面介绍洋银的形制及其在不同区域的使用情形,其次从认知接受层面展现时人对洋银流通的看法,最后是从应对行动层面来看洋银流通引发的问题、各省自铸银元的实践和清廷币制改革的过程。舆论对洋银流入的种种反应,呈现出社会层面对外来货币的认知逐步加深,并提出仿铸以取而代之,实现货币主权的迫切希望。总体来看,随着对洋银流入这一货币现象认识的加深,舆论的焦点也从通货本身逐渐延伸到货币制度改革的讨论。事实上,舆论的高涨对清廷中央和地方政府出台应对举措起到了重要的影响,因为从清季政府行动层面来看,几乎都围绕着禁止或仿铸之争、自铸银元、改革币制而展开。

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasty, large amounts of foreign machine-made standardized silver dollars began to enter commercial ports along China＇ s southeast coast, and gradually became widely used settlement currencies in foreign trades, and later the usage and circulation of which gradually expanded to the northern and inland boarder areas. This paper researched and analyzed the public attention and reaction to the inflow of silver dollars at that time and found that public resignation and response can be summarized in three levels： firstly in temls of circulation, it introduced the shape and casting of foreign silver dollars and usage; demonstrated people＇s view on circulation of reactions, it discussed the problems caused by provinces casting their own silver dollars and reactions of the public to the inflow of foreign secondly in terms of recognition and acceptation, it these silver dollars; thirdly in terms of response and these circulating silver dollars and the practice of some the cmfency reform in Qing dynasty. The opinions and silver dollars reflected the deepening of understanding to foreign currencies as well as the urge to get hold of monetary sovereignty by replicating foreign casting methods. Overall, along with the deepening of understanding on inflow of foreign dollars, the public shifted from focus on inflation to discussion on currency reforms. In fact, the escalating public attention did have important impact on the central and local governments in Qing dynasty since the governments＇ action mostly revolved around banning the competition on replicating dollars, self-casting dollars and monetary reforms.