The heavy-cash issues from Aksu belong to a deliberate policy shift following the Qing conquest of Xinjiang in 1759. Qianlong ordered the establishment of mints at several newly absorbed garrison towns — Aksu among them — specifically to supply coinage to a region where barter and foreign silver had previously dominated exchange. The elevated weight of these pieces relative to metropolitan cash was intentional: heavier coins were thought to command greater credibility among populations unfamiliar with Qing monetary conventions.
Production at Aksu ran on a seasonal schedule, interrupted by garrison rotations and supply chain difficulties across the Tianshan passes. The mint was staffed partly by relocated artisans from interior provinces.
The heavy-cash issues from Aksu belong to a deliberate policy shift following the Qing conquest of Xinjiang in 1759. Qianlong ordered the establishment of mints at several newly absorbed garrison towns — Aksu among them — specifically to supply coinage to a region where barter and foreign silver had previously dominated exchange. The elevated weight of these pieces relative to metropolitan cash was intentional: heavier coins were thought to command greater credibility among populations unfamiliar with Qing monetary conventions.
Production at Aksu ran on a seasonal schedule, interrupted by garrison rotations and supply chain difficulties across the Tianshan passes. The mint was staffed partly by relocated artisans from interior provinces.