Item number: A1091

Year: AD 1576-1620

Material: Brass

Size: 28.5 x 28.4 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 4.7 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a coin minted during the reign of the Wanli Emperor, the longest-reigning emperor of the Ming Dynasty, starting from the 4th year of his reign in AD 1576, inscribed with the reign title “Wanli Tongbao.” During the Wanli Emperor’s reign, the number of official coin furnaces in the country increased dramatically from 60 to 350 by the 30th year of his reign. Concurrently, a significant amount of private minting emerged in the southern regions, resulting in a highly complex and diverse range of Wanli Tongbao coin variants.

The coin weighs 4.7 g, equivalent to two cash. The “Wanli Tongbao” comes in two denominations: the “One Cash” and the “Two Cash,” with the latter typically weighing between 4.5 and 5.8 g. There is a theory that the two cash coins were minted by eunuchs within the palace during the reign of Emperor Wanli.

The coin has a typical square-hole design, characterised by its exceptionally fine craftsmanship. The outer rim is notably narrower compared to other versions, enhancing its overall delicate appearance. On the obverse side, the characters “Wanli Tongbao” are inscribed in regular script, arranged in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side of the coin is plain, without any inscriptions or designs.

When Emperor Wanli ascended the throne at the tender age of ten, his reign was initially guided by the renowned reformer Zhang Juzheng. One of Zhang’s most significant fiscal reforms was the “Single Whip Law,” which consolidated various forms of taxation into a single payment in silver, profoundly influencing the tax system of both the Ming and Qing dynasties. After Zhang Juzheng’s death in AD 1582, the now adult Wanli Emperor took control of the government. However, his reign was plagued by personal health issues, disputes over succession, and increasing frustration with court factionalism, leading to his notorious 30-year period of absentee governance.

During Emperor Wanli’s prolonged absentee governance, the Ming Empire managed to effectively address various external threats, such as the southern tribal chieftains, the northern Mongols, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s aggression against Korea, a vassal state. However, the empire struggled to contain the rise of the Jurchens beyond the Great Wall, which laid the groundwork for the eventual downfall of the Ming Dynasty.

物件編號: A1091

年代: 公元 1576-1620 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 28.5 x 28.4 x 1.6 mm

重量: 4.7 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是自萬曆4年(公元1576年)起，明朝在位期間最長的皇帝明神宗以年號鑄造的「萬曆通寶」。萬曆皇帝在位期間，全國鑄造錢幣的爐具從60座大幅增加至萬曆30年的350座。同時在南方出現大量的私鑄現象，使得萬曆通寶的版別極為複雜多樣。

錢幣的重量為4.7克，相當於兩文錢。萬曆通寶分別有小平錢和折二錢兩種，後者的重量約為4.5至5.8克。有一說折二錢為明神宗允許宮內的宦官所鑄造。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，其品質十分精美，外廓相較其他版本較窄。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左順序，以楷書書法鐫刻漢字「萬曆通寶」四字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

明神宗以十歲幼齡登基之際，由知名的改革家張居正輔佐朝政。張居正於財政上最為深遠的變革為「一條鞭法」，即以銀子折算過往不同品項的稅收，影響後續明清兩代的稅賦制度。張居正在萬曆10年(公元1582年)病逝後，成年的明神宗開始親政，然而其個人健康、繼承人之爭和不堪朝內黨政的因素，使得明神宗逐漸怠於政事，創下長達30年未上朝的紀錄。

然而在皇帝缺席朝政期間，明帝國仍有效地應付南方土司、北方蒙古和侵略藩屬國朝鮮的豐臣秀吉勢力，但是卻無力阻擋關外女真人的興起，替明朝的滅亡埋下隱憂。