CHINA, XINJIANG, DAO GUANG TONG BAO, 1821-1850 AD, XINJIANG, copper, 1 cash, Ili mint

DescriptionDuring the Dao Guang period the import of opium became a serious drain on the Chinese economy. The refusal of Britain to stop importing opium resulted in the First Opium War, which China lost. Ili is a town in north central Xinjiang.The western region of China is today called Xinjiang, which means “new territories.” The majority of the inhabitants have been mostly various Turkic tribes. Chinese occupation was begun during the Tang Dynasty, followed by several centuries during which China was preoccupied with other issues, such as the northern tribes and the Mongols. During the Qing Dynasty more attention was paid to Xinjiang and a program of occupation and absorption began that continues to today.The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets.