关于乾隆时期钱值高昂问题的考察

雍正皇帝为稳定商品市场的银钱比价,对铜钱制度深刻反思后进行了全面改革,至乾隆时期,改革后的铸钱成本长期保持在铜钱千文含银一两以下, 成本较低。而同一时期商品货币流通领域铜钱对纹银的兑换却低于一两,钱价高昂,钱价与钱值相悖。形成这个问题的根本原因,在于清政府对铜斤实行垄断经营、压低价格。基于清政府对鼓铸用锎垄断价格而形成的铸钱成本,并不能真正体现钱文的价值含量。铸钱成本的高低应取决于商品市场铜铅价格的高低。乾隆时期钱价高昂,正是当时商品市场铜价昂贵的曲折反映。

An Investigation of the High Value of Money in the Qianlong Period

To stabilise price ratios on commodity markets, the Yongzheng Emperor, after serious reflection, enacted a thoroughgoing reform, and, for a long time thereafter, until the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, the total cost of coining specie was held at a low rate below one liang per one thousand wen of copper-bronze cash. However, during the same period in the sphere of commodity and currency exchange and circulation, the exchange rate between copper-bronze currency and printed currency was lower than one liang, and so the inflated cost of copper-bronze currency was at odds with its value. The basic reason for this dilemma was that the Qing government exercised a monopoly over copper-bronze ingot production, thereby forcing bullion price down. The fact that the Qing government exercised a monopoly over producing copper-bronze coinage, and so influenced the cost of producing the specie, meant that copper-bronze could not realise its actual value. This production value should in fact have been determined by the commodity market. The high price of copper-bronze cash in the Qianlong period was thus a distorted reflection of the high price of the metal on the commodity market.