Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Later Zhou
Zhouyuan Tongbao
五代十國 後周
周元通寶
Item number: A825-2
Year: AD 955-960
Material: Bronze
Size: 23.4 x 23.5 x 0.5 mm
Weight: 1.8 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This coin, known as the “Zhouyuan Tong Bao” (周元通寶), originates from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. It was issued under the reign of Chai Rong, the second ruler of the Later Zhou dynasty, who is historically recognised for his infamous policy of destroying Buddhist statues to melt them down for coinage.
The coin exhibits the typical square-holed design characteristic of traditional Chinese coinage. On the obverse side, the four characters “Zhou Yuan Tong Bao” are inscribed in clerical script, arranged sequentially from top to bottom, right to left. The reverse side is blank.
The Zhouyuan Tong Bao coins were first minted in the second year of the Xiande era (AD 955). Faced with the severe copper shortage that plagued the late Tang Dynasty, Emperor Zhou Shizong took several measures. He sought to acquire copper ore from the neighbouring country of Goryeo while also instituting a nationwide ban on private possession of copper artifacts. Additionally, he focused on expanding the production of coins through the flourishing Buddhist temples. Since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism, which originated from India, had gradually become a mainstream religious belief in the Central Plains. However, Buddhism’s foreign origins and its considerable economic and political influence led to several periods of repression by the court.
Emperor Zhou Shizong’s intention to confiscate the assets of Buddhist temples and convert copper Buddhist statues into coins faced opposition from devout Buddhist ministers and officials within the court. Zhou Shizong cleverly employed the Buddhist parable of “offering Buddha’s body to feed the tiger,” which emphasises the spirit of prioritising the welfare of others. According to the parable, the Buddha was willing to sacrifice his own body to save a tiger, so why should he be concerned about the fate of his own copper statue? This reasoning was used to allay the concerns of the officials.
After gaining the support of his ministers, Emperor Zhou Shizong placed great importance on the minting of coins. He even established several large furnaces within the palace to oversee the coinage process personally. Emulating the Tang Dynasty’s Kaiyuan Tongbao, the Zhouyuan Tongbao coins were among the highest quality of their time. Due to their origin from Buddhist statues, the Zhouyuan Tongbao became surrounded by magical legends among the populace, with claims that they could cure difficult ailments. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, people would even specifically purchase Zhou Yuan Tongbao as amulets for protection.