Item number: A900-1

Year: AD 1004-1007

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.7 x 24.6 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 3.85 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 and is covered with a layer of green patina. 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.

物件編號: A900-1

年代: 公元 1004-1007 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.7 x 24.6 x 1.0 mm

重量: 3.85 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是北宋的第三位皇帝宋真宗在位期間，以第二個年號所鑄造的「景德元寶」。宋真宗趙恆在位24年間，先後使用過五個年號。出產瓷器出名的江西景德鎮，正是在宋真宗景德年間專門提供皇室瓷器而因此得名。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，通體覆蓋一層綠色包漿。錢幣正面以楷書書法，按順時針順序鐫刻漢字「景德元寶」四字，「德」字少了一個橫筆劃。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

宋真宗在位初年面對北方強鄰遼國的騷擾，最終跟遼國簽訂以金錢換取和平的「澶淵之盟」，開啟宋朝以歲幣先後跟西夏和金國換取和平的先例。

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。