Item number: A1076

Year: AD 14-23

Material: Bronze

Size: 22.6 x 22.5 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 2.95 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Huo Quan” auxiliary coin, issued in the first year of the Tianfeng era (AD 14) by Wang Mang, who usurped the Han dynasty and established the Xin dynasty. The coin was introduced as part of the fourth currency reform that Wang Mang implemented during his lifetime.

The coin is of the typical square-holed design and made of bronze. Its outer rim is exceptionally thin, giving the overall appearance a robust thickness. On the obverse side, from right to left, two characters “Huo Quan” (貨泉) are inscribed in a highly distinctive and artistic “Hanging Needle Seal Script,” characterised by strokes that are thicker at the top and taper to fine, needle-like points at the ends. The reverse side of the coin is blank, with no inscriptions or designs.

In Wang Mang’s fourth currency reform, the “Huo Bu” (貨布) was introduced as the primary currency, weighing twenty-five zhu, modelled after the ancient Warring States spade money. The “Huo Quan” (貨泉) was the auxiliary currency, weighing five zhu. This reform aimed to replace the systems from the previous three currency reforms but failed to meet Wang Mang’s expectations and contributed significantly to the downfall of the Xin Dynasty.

After Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han Dynasty, “Huo Quan” coins continued to circulate for some time because Liu Xiu believed that the characters “Huo Quan” (貨泉) symbolised his future as emperor. The characters were interpreted as “真人” (Zhen Ren) and “白水” (Bai Shui). Since Liu Xiu’s rebellion began in Bai Shui (Zao Yang, Hubei), he was also known as “白水真人” (Bai Shui Zhen Ren).

Wang Mang, despite being a powerful figure and influential statesman at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, led a remarkably austere private life. He even commanded his son, who had committed crimes, to commit suicide as an act of contrition, earning him praise from scholars and the common people. Thus, in AD 8, amidst widespread calls from various sectors, Wang Mang peacefully usurped power through abdication, changing the dynastic title to Xin. Despite his failed economic policies, which led to his assassination by rebel forces in AD 23, over a thousand courtiers were willing to accompany him in death. Although official historical accounts of later periods often denounce Wang Mang as a “hypocrite,” during the Republican era, Hu Shih gave him the high praise of being the “first socialist in China.”

物件編號: A1076

年代: 公元 14-23 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 22.6 x 22.5 x 1.3 mm

重量: 2.95 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是在天鳳元年(公元14年)，篡奪漢室建立新朝的王莽在生平推動的第四次貨幣改革中，推行的輔助貨幣「貨泉」。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為青銅。錢幣的外廓非常纖細，使得整體外觀看起來非常厚實。錢幣正面按照右側朝左側的順序，以極具特色和藝術的「懸針篆書」，即筆劃上粗下細，收尾細如針的書法字體，鐫刻「貨泉」兩字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

王莽在第四次的改革中，推出重量為二十五銖，仿效戰國布幣的「貨布」為主幣，和重量為五銖的輔幣「貨泉」，以取代前三次貨幣改革的制度。但結果卻不如王莽的預期，成為壓垮新朝政權的最後一根稻草。後續漢光武帝劉秀創建東漢之後，作為前朝發行的貨泉仍流通一段時間，因為他迷相貨泉預示他將成為皇帝的結果。將貨泉兩字的書法拆開分別是「真人」和「白水」，劉秀恰好是起兵於白水(湖北棗陽)，故又被稱作是「白水真人」。

王莽貴為西漢末年權傾一時的外戚和權臣，其私下生活卻極為簡樸，甚至責令犯法的兒子自殺謝罪得到文人和百姓的推崇。故公元8年在各界的呼聲下，王莽以不流血的禪讓取得政權，改國號為新。雖然失敗的經濟政策招使王莽於公元23年遭到亂軍殺害，卻有一千多名朝臣願意陪同他赴死。即便後世的官方史書多以「偽君子」評價王莽，但是民國時期的胡適卻給予他「中國第一位社會主義者」高度評價。