Item number: A1078

Year: AD 1433-1435

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.0 x 24.4 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 3.4 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a bronze coin minted during the reign of the fifth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong, bearing the inscription ” Xuande Tongbao,” which corresponds to his reign title, starting from the 8th year of the Xuande era (AD 1433).

The coin follows the typical design of square-holed coins. On the obverse side, the four characters “Xuande Tongbao” are inscribed in regular script in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side is plain, without any patterns or inscriptions. The Xuande Tongbao coins exhibit a consistent design and are known for their exceptionally fine and precise craftsmanship, with only one rare variant where a horizontal stroke is omitted from the character “德.”

During the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and his father, Emperor Renzong, the Ming Dynasty underwent a significant shift from the aggressive military campaigns and tense relationships with court officials that characterised the rule of their predecessor, Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di). Together, they ushered in an 11-year period of prosperity and relative stability known as the “Ren-Xuan Rule” (仁宣之治), marking one of the more peaceful and stable eras in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

物件編號: A1078

年代: 公元 1433-1435 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.0 x 24.4 x 1.0 mm

重量: 3.4 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚明朝第五任皇帝明宣宗在位期間，自宣德8年 (公元1433年)起，按照年號所鑄造的「宣德通寶」銅錢。錢幣型制為典型的方孔錢。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序以楷書書法鐫刻漢字「宣德通寶」四字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何的圖案或文字。宣德通寶的版型一致，且作工非常精緻整齊，僅有一種較罕見的「德」字省略一橫的版型。

明宣宗和父親明仁宗在位期間，一改祖父明成祖朱棣對外積極用兵和對內朝臣關係緊張，共同開創為期11年的「仁宣之治」盛世，為明朝較為穩定的承平時期。