Item number: A180

Year: 113 BC-AD 9

Material: Terracotta

Size: 112.66 x 106.34 mm / thick: 25.4-30.0 mm

Weight: 450.8 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2023

This artefact is a terracotta model mould of Wu Zhu coins from the Western Han Dynasty, which was used in the production of moulds of Wu Zhu coins.

The term “money mould(錢範)” referred to various moulds and templates used in the casting of coins, which can be divided into three categories: ancestral moulds, model moulds, and casting moulds, each representing different stages of the production process. The “ancestral mould” was the first step in making moulds, usually made of materials such as wood, stone, or clay that are easy to carve, with the inscriptions in a reverse seal script form. The “model mould” was cast or made from the ancestral mould, and can be made of materials such as copper, clay, or lead, with the inscriptions in a regular seal script form. The “casting mould” referred to the mould directly used for casting coins, which could be directly carved or cast from the model mould, and could be made of materials such as stone, clay, or copper, with the inscriptions in a reverse seal script form.

The inscriptions on the shown object is in a regular seal script form, therefore belonging to the category of model mould, utilised in the production of casting moulds.

Wu Zhu coins are the most numerous and longest circulating currency in the history of Chinese coinage. First minted in the fifth year of Yuanshou of Emperor Wu (118 BC), they were subsequently minted in the Eastern Han, Shu Han, Wei, Jin, Southern Qi, Liang, Chen, Northern Wei, and Sui Dynasties, with no fixed standards regarding weight, size, or shape. Official circulation was formally abolished by the Tang Dynasty in the fourth year of the Wude era (AD 621), yet the old Wu Zhu coins continued to circulate widely among the populace.The emergence of this currency gradually stabilised the previously chaotic monetary system of the Western Han Dynasty, remaining in circulation for over seven hundred years. It stands as a significant milestone in the history of Chinese currency.

In response to the phenomenon of inflation, the need to stabilise prices, and to address monetary issues, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented six successive reforms. During the fourth reform in the year 113 BCE (Yuan Shou 5th year), he replaced the existing San (three)zhu coins with Wu zhu coins and explicitly prohibited the circulation of half-ounce coins. These new Wu zhu coins, known as “Jun Guo Wu Zhu” (郡國五銖), were minted by various commanderies and kingdoms according to regulations set by the central government. However, due to disparities in technological proficiency and issues such as official corruption leading to private minting, the quality of these currencies became unstable. Consequently, discrepancies between nominal value and legal weight gradually emerged.

The issue of private minting remained a significant impediment to economic development during the Western Han Dynasty. Privately minted coins became increasingly debased, and their quantity proliferated over time, exacerbating the problem of inflation and causing hardship among the populace. To address this dilemma, Emperor Wu of Han introduced the fifth reform in the second year of the Yuanding era (104 BCE). This reform introduced a new currency called “Chi Ze Wu Zhu” (赤仄五銖), aiming to replace five local commandery coins with a single unit of the new currency. However, this new monetary system also attracted private and counterfeit minters, undermining the intended effects of the reform.

In the year 113 BCE, during the fourth year of the Yuanding era, Emperor Wu of Han once again initiated reforms, declaring, “All commanderies and kingdoms are strictly prohibited from minting coins. The exclusive authority to mint coins is granted to the three officials of Shanglin.” The three officials referred to here are Zhongguan, Biantong, and Junshu, which constituted the central minting institution. Under this decree, only coins minted by these three officials were permitted to circulate, and all previously minted coins from commanderies and kingdoms were ordered to be withdrawn from circulation.

The coins issued during this reform were known as “San Guan Wu Zhu” (三官五銖), as they were minted by the three aforementioned officials. Due to the higher costs associated with counterfeiting and the centralised control over minting and issuance, this reform effectively addressed the issues of private minting and monetary disorder. Consequently, the currency reform achieved significant success.

物件編號: A180

年代: 公元前113-公元 9 年

材料: 赤陶

尺寸: 112.66 x 106.34 mm / 高: 25.4-30.0 mm

重量: 450.8 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2023

此物件為西漢時期的五銖錢範模，用於生產鑄造五銖錢的模具，以赤陶製成。 

錢範是鑄造錢幣時的各種模具和範本的總稱，分為祖範、範模和鑄範三類，分別代表了製作過程中的不同階段。「祖範」是製作模具的第一步，通常使用木材、石材或泥坯等易於雕刻的材料，上面的文字呈現陰文反書的形式；「範模」是由祖範鑄造或製作而成，材質可以是銅、泥、鉛等，上面的文字呈現陽文正書的形式；「鑄範」則是指直接用來鑄造錢幣的模具，可以直接雕刻，或者是由範模鑄造而成，材質可以是石頭、泥土、銅等，上面的文字呈現陰文反書的形式。 

此物件上頭的文字為陽文正書，屬於上述種類中的範模，用以製造鑄範。 

五銖錢為中國錢幣歷史上數量最多、流通時間最長的錢幣，其誕生最早可追溯至西漢漢武帝元狩五年（公元前118年），之後於東漢、蜀漢、魏、晉、南齊、梁、陳、北魏和隋都曾鑄造，重量、形制大小均無定制。直至唐朝武德四年（公元621年）官方正式宣布廢止流通。但民間仍普遍持續流通使用舊五銖。這種貨幣的出現使西漢原本混亂的貨幣制度逐漸穩定，並流通七百多年，為中國貨幣史上重要的里程碑之一。 

為因應通貨膨脹的現象、穩定物價，解決幣制問題，漢武帝先後推行六次改革。在第四次改革（元狩五年）中，他以五銖錢取代了原本的三銖，並明令廢止了半兩錢的流通。這種新的五銖錢被稱為「郡國五銖」，由各郡國依照中央政府的規定進行鑄造。然而，由於技術水平參差不齊以及官員貪污私鑄等問題，這些貨幣的品質並不穩定，名義價值與法定重量逐漸出現不一致的情況。 

私鑄問題一直是西漢經濟發展的一大障礙。私鑄的錢幣愈來愈輕，數量也日益增加，這導致了通貨膨脹問題的惡化，使得民不聊生。為解決這一困境，漢武帝於元鼎二年推出了第五次改革，推行了新的貨幣「赤仄五銖」，希望以一枚赤仄五銖取代五枚郡國五銖，但這種新貨幣也吸引了私鑄者和盜鑄者的鑄造。 

元鼎四年(公元前113年)，漢武帝再次推行改革，宣布「 悉禁郡國無鑄錢 ， 專令上林三官鑄。鑄既多， 而令天下非三官錢不得行 ， 諸郡國所前鑄錢皆廢銷之 。」三官指的是鍾官、辨銅、均輸，為中央鑄幣的機構。此次所發行的五銖錢被稱為「三官五銖」，由於其盜鑄成本較高，並且明定將鑄幣權與發行權收歸中央，得以解決私鑄問與幣制混亂的問題，使幣制改革取得了較大成功。