清代京钱考论

A Study of Jingqian in the Qing Dynasty

京钱作为一种区域性货币由来已久,与制钱保持2∶1的折算关系。作为实货币,京钱来源于康熙朝七分小钱,主要是由于当时持续的钱贵银贱,朝廷欲以官铸小钱压缩私铸的生存空间;乾隆皇帝的特许,是京钱得以存在并长期流通的合法性基础。作为虚货币,京钱亦锚定制钱(大钱),在道光之前主要发挥价值尺度职能;道光之后,随着白银外流的加剧,京钱以钱票为载体成为流通甚广的通货,以补充货币供给之不足。京钱的使用范围主要集中在京师、直隶和山东地区,即华北的运河经济圈内,这与乾隆时期直隶和山东较北方其他省份明显的钱贵银贱有关系。至早于道光时期,京钱才扩散到东北地区。

As a regional currency,Jingqian had a long history and maintained a 2:1 conversion ratio with the official copper coins——Zhiqian.As a real currency,Jingqian originated from the official small copper coins cast in the period of Kangxi——“Qifenqian”,produced mainly because of the continuous high price of copper coins and the continuous low price of silver at that time.The imperial court wanted to squeeze the living space of private copper coins by casting small copper coins.The concession of Emperor Qianlong was the legal basis for the existence and long-term circulation of Jingqian.As a virtual currency,Jingqian also anchored customized money(Daqian),which mainly played the role of value measure before the reign of Emperor Daoguang.After the period of Daoguang,with the intensification of the outflow of silver,Jingqian became a widely circulated currency with paper money as its carrier in order to supplement the shortage of money supply.Jingqian was mainly used in the capital,Zhili and Shandong areas,that was,the canal economic circle in North China,which was related to the fact that copper coins were more expensive and silver was cheaper in Zhili and Shandong than in other northern provinces during the period of Qianlong.It was not earlier than the period of Daoguang that Jingqian began to spread to Northeast China.