Item number: A241

Year: 118 BC-AD 9

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.4 x 25.4 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 3.55 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2022

This is a Chinese numismatic charm from the Western Han period, crafted by the populace for the purpose of seeking blessings. The obverse side of the coin mimics the circulating currency of the time, the “Wu Zhu” coin, while the reverse side is inscribed with the characters “Yi Fu Bao Zi” in the sequence of top, bottom, right, left. Judging from the inscription on the reverse side, this Chinese numismatic charm was likely used in childbirth-related contexts, praying for the safety and well-being of both pregnant women and their unborn children.

The Chinese numismatic charm originated in the Western Han period and was primarily used for gifting, celebrations, offerings, wearing, collecting, divination, and funerals. In addition to common bronze materials, the royal and noble classes also used precious materials such as gold, silver, jade, and ivory for these charms. After evolving through different dynasties, Chinese numismatic charms gradually departed from simply imitating the appearance of circulating currency coins during the Western Han period. They developed designs that included hollowing out and even moved away from the square hole coin type.

During the Northern Song period, the numismatist Li Xiaomei referred to flower-shaped coins as “Yansheng Coins” in his work “Illustrated Catalogue.” This term originates from Wang Mang’s attempt to suppress rebellions by casting a type of object known as “Weidou,” seeking to suppress the rebellious forces. In ancient China, the characters “Ya/Yan”(壓/厭) were interchangeable, both implying the use of incantations to suppress opponents in hopes of achieving victory, reflecting a form of superstition. Although Wang Mang ultimately failed to quell the rebellious forces, this term persisted and became a distinctive feature of Chinese numismatics.

物件編號: A241

年代: 公元前 118-公元 9 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.4 x 25.4 x 1.6 mm

重量: 3.55 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2022

這是一枚西漢時期，民間為了祈福而製作仿效貨幣型制的「花錢」。錢幣正面仿效當時的流通貨幣「五銖」，背面則按：上、下、右、左的序列，鐫刻有「宜婦保子」四字。從背面的銘文作判讀，這枚花錢是應用在生產的場合，祈求孕婦和胎兒均能平安。

花錢最早起源於西漢時期，主要用於餽贈、喜慶、供養、配戴、賞玩、占卜和喪葬等場合。除了常見的青銅原料外，皇室貴冑更會使用金銀、玉石和象牙等貴重原料。花錢歷經不同朝代的演變後，擺脫西漢時期仍大致仿效流通貨幣的外觀，逐漸發展出鏤空甚至跳脫方孔錢型制的設計。

北宋時期的錢幣學家李孝美在著作《圖譜》中，又將花錢稱作「厭勝錢」，典故是出自王莽為鎮壓各地的反抗勢力，曾鑄造一種叫「威鬥」的器物，祈求能夠「壓勝」反叛勢力。在中國古代「壓/厭」兩個字能互相通用，意指藉由咒語壓制對手，以祈求勝利的一種迷信。雖然王莽最終沒能「壓勝」反叛的力量，但是這個名詞卻被流傳下來，成為中國錢幣學的一個特色。