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!
Southern Song Dynasty
Shaoxing Yuanbao
(Seal Script Version)
南宋
紹興元寶
(篆書版)
Item number: A890
Year: AD 1131-1162
Material: Bronze
Size: 28.1 x 28.8 x 1.5 mm
Weight: 6.35 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This is a bronze coin minted during the reign of the first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong, bearing the inscription “Shaoxing Yuanbao,” which corresponds to his second era name. The “Shaoxing Yuanbao” coins are classified into two types based on script style: regular script and seal script. The coin has the typical square-holed design, but due to its age, the surface shows significant wear.
The obverse side of the coin features the four Chinese characters “Shaoxing Yuanbao” engraved in seal script, arranged in a clockwise direction. Although the inscriptions are damaged, they remain legible. The reverse side of the coin has suffered severe damage, with the central square hole no longer visible, and the surface is marked with numerous grayish-white spots.
Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou, was the ninth son of Emperor Huizong. Originally, he was not in line to ascend the throne. However, in AD 1127, during the Jingkang Incident, the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty captured the Northern Song capital, Bianjing, and successfully seized both Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong along with many members of the royal family. Zhao Gou, who managed to escape, was supported by court officials to ascend the throne. He later relocated the capital to Lin’an, marking the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty’s rule.
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.