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Southern Song Dynasty
Shaoxi Yuanbao
(Downward Two)
南宋
紹熙元寶
(背下二)
Item number: A913
Year: AD 1191
Material: Bronze
Size: 29.4 x 29.1 x 1.7 mm
Weight: 6.9 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a bronze coin minted during the Southern Song Dynasty under the reign of the third emperor, Emperor Guangzong, bearing the inscription “Shaoxi Yuanbao,” corresponding to the era name “Shaoxi.”
The coin is of the typical square-holed design, with its entire surface covered in light green and white rust spots. On the obverse side, the four Chinese characters “Shaoxi Yuanbao” are engraved in regular script, arranged in a clockwise direction. On the reverse side, at the bottom, there is a faint “Two” year mark, partially obscured by the rust, indicating that the coin was minted in the 2nd year of the Shaoxi era (AD 1191).
Emperor Guangzong (Zhao Dun) of the Song Dynasty ascended to the throne at the age of 42, making him the oldest person to become emperor in Song history. However, during his reign, he faced exclusion and opposition from court officials and the empress dowager. In AD 1194, he was forced to abdicate in favour of the underage Crown Prince Ningzong, ruling for only five years. In AD 1200, Guangzong passed away at the age of 54 while living in retirement as a retired emperor.
During the Song Dynasty, in addition to bronze coins, one notable feature was the widespread circulation of iron coins, a phenomenon rarely seen in other dynasties. This practise arose primarily for two reasons: first, the domestic shortage of copper resources; and second, the need to prevent copper coins from flowing into the hands of northern rival states, such as the Western Xia, Liao, and Jin. As a result, the Song court initially began minting iron coins, and later introduced early forms of paper money, such as Jiaozi and Huizi, as alternative currency.