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Southern Song Dynasty
1 Tael Gold Strip Ingot Made by Liu Shun
南宋
劉順造一兩金鋌
Item number: A289
Year: AD 1138-1279
Material: Gold
Size: 127.5 x 17.9 x 0.8 mm
Weight: 37.0 g
Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2013
This is a one tael weight gold strip ingot minted during the Southern Song Dynasty, presenting itself as a long and thin sheet of gold. In the centre of the obverse and at both ends, it stamps the inscription “Made by Liu Shun,” which identifies the name of the craftsman. The Southern Song Dynasty was the most prosperous period for commerce in Chinese history. Although daily transactions still relied on copper coins as the medium of exchange, precious metals such as gold and silver played significant roles in both governmental and private sectors.
Archaeologists have unearthed gold strip ingots of various weights, including one, three, six, ten, twelve and a half, twenty-five, and fifty taels. These ingots typically have a rectangular shape. Additionally, gold is also crafted into various other metal products, such as gold plates and thin gold leaves resembling paper. On the surface of gold strip ingots, one often finds markings indicating their purity, the name of the goldsmith, and the unique stamps of the shops, serving as markers of distinction and quality assurance.
According to historical records, gold products during the Southern Song Dynasty served primarily non-commercial purposes such as rewards, military expenses, national expenses, taxes, tributes, offerings, and gifts. During the Southern Song period, one tael of gold was equivalent to thirty strings of copper coins, which had an astonishing purchasing power of twenty-two thousand coins. However, the legal currency of the Southern Song Dynasty was copper coins and paper money, so gold needed to be exchanged through special intermediary institutions known as “gold-silver-salt-paper exchange shops.”
Since the Southern Song capital Lin’an was established in AD 1138, the rapid population growth in the city led to increased demand for various consumer goods. Lin’an, especially, was inhabited by high-consumption residents such as members of the royal family and high-ranking officials. Therefore, on the bustling commercial streets of Lin’an, there were hundreds of “exchange shops” where people could exchange gold and silver. In addition to dealing with the production and exchange of gold and silver products, these exchange shops also served as places for exchanging legal paper money. These exchange shops played an indispensable role in promoting the economic prosperity of the Southern Song Dynasty.