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Northern Song Dynasty
Jingde Yuanbao
(Bold Font Version)
北宋
景德元寶
(粗字版)
Item number: A917
Year: AD 1004-1007
Material: Bronze
Size: 24.4 x 24.3 x 1.0 mm
Weight: 4.0 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This coin, inscribed with “Jingde Yuanbao,” was minted during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the third emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, under his second era name, “Jingde.” During his 24-year reign, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Heng, used a total of five different era names.
The famous porcelain-producing town of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province derived its name during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, specifically during the “Jingde” era. It was during this period that the town became renowned for producing porcelain exclusively for the imperial court, leading to its association with the era name.
The coin follows the typical square-holed design. The obverse side of the coin features the four Chinese characters “Jingde Yuanbao” inscribed in regular script, arranged in a clockwise order. The character “德” is missing a horizontal stroke. The reverse side of the coin is blank, without any inscriptions or designs.
In the early years of Emperor Zhenzong’s reign, the Northern Song Dynasty faced persistent harassment from the neighbouring Liao Empire. This culminated in the signing of the “Treaty of Chanyuan,” in which the Song agreed to pay tribute in exchange for peace. This treaty set a precedent for the Song Dynasty, which later followed a similar strategy of securing peace with the Western Xia and the Jin Dynasty through the payment of annual tributes.
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.