Item number: A107

Year: Qing Dynasty, AD 1636-1911

Material: Copper

Size: 45.92 x 45.74 mm

Weight: 27.95 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin, known as “Thunder Decree of the Mountain Ghost Charm,” was minted either officially or by the populace during the Qing Dynasty.

The coin features a central round perforation. On the obverse side, inscribed in vertical Chinese characters, are the phrases: “雷令山鬼、雷霆雷霆、殺鬼降精、斬妖辟邪、永保神清。奉太上老君急急如律令敕 ,” which means that thunder can subdue demons and eradicate evil spirits, maintaining mental clarity and peace, while invoking the swift protection and assistance of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Tai Shang Lao Jun). This inscription constitutes a Daoist incantation. The reverse side of the coin is inscribed with the names and symbols of the Eight Trigrams of the Chinese Bagua.

The minting of Thunder Decree of the Mountain Ghost Charms began in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, reaching peak popularity during the Qing Dynasty. Daoist priests utilised these coins as instruments in rituals, and people wore them on their bodies or placed them in their homes to ward off evil, prevent misfortune, and dispel disasters.

Chinese numismatic charms, also known as Yansheng coins or flower coins, refer to an informal currency that was used in rituals aimed at seeking auspicious outcomes and warding off malevolent influences. In Daoism, charms serve as a Daoist talismanic currency that is employed to suppress malevolent forces and dispel calamities.

Mountain Ghost:
The mountain ghost, synonymous with mountain god, is said to be called a “mountain ghost” because, according to legend, it did not receive formal enfeoffment from the Heavenly Emperor and thus is not considered a proper deity. People believe that nature is filled with spirits, and this concept of mountain spirits has existed since the Warring States period.

Bagua:
The Bagua, originating from the “Book of Changes” (Yijing), is an ancient philosophical concept that describes the operation of the world. Later, people began to apply the Bagua to other areas, such as divination and Feng Shui. The Bagua consists of eight basic symbols, namely “Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Xun, Gen, Dui.” Each symbol represents a natural element or concept, such as water, fire, wind, and earth, forming sixty-four different combinations, each representing the laws of the universe and the changes of things.

物件編號: A107

年代: 清代, 公元 1636-1911 年

材料: 銅

尺寸: 45.92 x 45.74 mm

重量: 27.95 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

此枚錢幣為清代官方或民間鑄造的雷令山鬼花錢。

錢幣的中央有圓形穿孔，正面以漢字直書刻有「雷令山鬼、雷霆雷霆、殺鬼降精、斬妖辟邪、永保神清。奉太上老君急急如律令敕 」的文字，意思是雷霆能夠降妖除魔，對抗一切妖邪，保持頭腦清醒、神情安定，並希望太上老君迅速前來保佑我、幫助我。這是道教的一句咒語。錢幣背面則刻有中國八卦的卦名和符號。

雷令山鬼花錢的鑄造自元末明初便已出現，至清代最為盛行。道教道士利用這些花錢作為法事的媒介，人們將花錢佩戴在身上或放在房屋中，以驅邪避凶、消災解厄。

壓勝錢又稱厭勝錢、花錢，非正式流通的貨幣，最初主要用於祈吉、驅邪，而後使用範圍越趨廣泛。道教厭勝錢是道教用以鎮壓邪祟、禳除災凶的法器錢。

山鬼:
山鬼，即山神，傳說中由於沒有得到天帝的正式冊封，不屬於正神，因此被稱為山鬼。人們相信大自然充滿神靈，自戰國時代開始，這種山中神靈的概念就已經出現。

八卦:
來自於《 易經》，是一種古老的哲學概念，描述世界運作方式的觀念。後來，人們開始將八卦應用在其他方面，比如命理學和風水。八卦有八個基本符號，分別為「乾、坤、坎、離、震、巽、艮、兌 」每個符號代表著一個自然元素或概念，例如:水、火、風、地…等，可形成六十四種不同的組合，各代表著宇宙的運行規律和事物的變換。