Item number: A889

Year: AD 1131-1162

Material: Bronze

Size: 28.2 x 28.0 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 4.55 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 follows the typical square-holed design and has an overall black colour.

On the obverse side, the Chinese characters “Shaoxing Yuanbao” are inscribed in a clockwise order, with the script mainly in slim regular style, although the character “興” on the right side shows some hints of seal script’s calligraphic flair. The reverse side of the coin is plain, lacking any design or inscription.

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.

物件編號: A889

年代: 公元 1131-1162 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 28.2 x 28.0 x 1.1 mm

重量: 4.55 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是南宋第一任皇帝宋高宗，以其使用的第二個年號所鑄造的「紹興元寶」，材質為青銅。紹興元寶按書法差異，分為楷書和篆書兩種版型。錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，通體為黑色。

錢幣正面按順時針順序，依序鐫刻漢字「紹興元寶」四字，字體為纖細的楷書，不過右側的「興」帶有些許篆書的筆韻。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何圖案或文字。

宋高宗趙構為宋徽宗的第九位皇子，按照繼承順位原先不會成為皇帝。然而公元1127年的「靖康之變」，女真人創建的金朝攻克北宋首都汴京，並成功擄獲徽、欽兩帝為首的宋室皇族，倖免於難的趙構在朝臣支持下稱帝，後續遷都於臨安開啟南宋的統治。

兩宋時期的錢幣以青銅為材料外，其特色尚有大規模的鐵幣流通，為其他朝代少見的現象。之所以如此，一來是國內的銅礦資源缺乏；二來是防止銅錢流入競爭對手，諸如西夏、遼和金等北方政權，使得兩宋朝廷先是鑄造鐵錢，後來更出現紙幣雛形的「交子、會子」作為貨幣。