十八世紀徽商典鋪的經營管理與典當制度──以休寧茗洲吳氏典鋪為中心

The Pawnshops of Eighteenth-Century Huizhou Merchants: The Pawnshops of the Wu Family from Mingzhou, Xiuning

本文利用新發現的雍正、乾隆時期休寧茗洲吳氏家族遺留的典當文書帳簿等資料， 以吳氏典鋪為中心，對以往研究較少的鄉鎮典鋪業務、經營狀況、典當營業制度、典鋪組織、人員構成、待遇和內部管理等問題進行探討，並與晚清以後的典當業進行比較，以顯示十八世紀徽商典當業達到的水準。本文認為，由於收當農產品，當鋪的總營業額不完全呈現「春當秋贖」的特點，但農業生產對典當業的影響是多方面的；乾隆時期吳氏當鋪的利潤率僅略高於傳統時代商業的「什一之利」，並不能稱之為高利；茗洲吳氏典鋪企業形態有獨資和合夥，經營方式有自己經營與代理經營兩種，與清代前期其他商業相比，並無不同，吳氏典銷還具有連鎖經營的特色，宗族因素在其中發揮了重要作用。本文指出，至少在乾隆時期，中國典鋪的經營方式、典當營業制度、內部組織及管理等方面已經基本定型。本文並指出，茗洲吳氏典鋪以規章制度和經濟手段相結合的經營管理，是頗具特色的。

This article uses newly-discovered documents and account books of the pawnshops of the Wu family from Mingzhou, Xiuning District, in eighteenth-century Huizhou, to analyze issues such as the scope of the business of rural pawnshops, their conditions of operation, the pawn business system, pawnshop organization, composition and treatment of employees, internal management, and so forth. Comparison is made with the pawnbroking business after the late Qing period. The author concludes that due to the pawning of agricultural products, the turnover of pawnshops is not represented by the old cliché ”pawn in the spring and redeem in the autumn.” Rather, agricultural production had various effects on the pawnbroking business. The profit rate of the Wu family's pawnshops was slightly higher than 10%, which is not considered highly profitable. Two forms of business organization, individual proprietorship and partnership, were adopted by the Wu family's pawnshops, and the pawnshops were operated either by family members or by agents. The pawnshops also had features in common with chain businesses. This article demonstrates that the Chinese pawnshop system was basically established at least by the Qianlong period. The author also suggests that the management of the Wu family's pawnshops was special insofar as it combined a regulation system with economic methods.