Item number: A831

Year: AD 960-976

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.3 x 25.0 x 0.8 mm

Weight: 3.0 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin, inscribed with “Songyuan Tongbao,” was minted in the first year of Jianlong (AD 960) by Emperor Taizu, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. It is the first coin issued by the Song Dynasty.

The coin follows the typical square-holed design. On the obverse side, the four Chinese characters “Songyuan Tongbao” are inscribed in regular script in the order of top, bottom, right, and left. The lower character “Yuan” features a distinctive upward stroke towards the left.

Emperor Taizu intentionally modelled the calligraphy and design after the Tang Dynasty’s “Kaiyuan Tongbao,” with the aspiration that the “Songyuan Tongbao” would become a coinage standard spanning across different reigns and emperors. The reverse side of the coin is blank, without any inscriptions or designs.

In AD 960, General Zhao Kuangyin, backed by his loyal troops, initiated a coup at Chenqiao, forcing the Northern Zhou royal family to abdicate. Having seized power through military force, Zhao Kuangyin founded the Song Dynasty. To consolidate his rule and prevent future military coups, he implemented the policy of “releasing military power over a cup of wine,” stripping military commanders of their authority. He also promoted the policy of “valuing civil governance over military might,” which, while stabilising internal affairs, ultimately weakened the Song Dynasty’s ability to resist invasions from northern nomadic tribes.

In AD 976, following a private discussion one night with his younger brother Zhao Kuangyi, Emperor Taizu mysteriously passed away the next day. This sudden death led to widespread rumours, known as the “Candlelight and Axe Shadow” legend, suggesting that Emperor Taizu was assassinated by Zhao Kuangyi, who subsequently ascended the throne.

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: A831

年代: 公元 960-976 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.3 x 25.0 x 0.8 mm

重量: 3.0 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是於建隆元年(公元960年)，宋朝開國皇帝宋太祖所鑄造的「宋元通寶」，為宋朝鑄造的第一款錢幣。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢。錢幣正面按上、下、右、左順序，依序以楷書書法鐫刻漢字「宋元通寶」四字，下方的「元」多向左側上挑。宋太祖刻意效仿唐朝開元通寶的書法和形制，期許宋元通寶成為橫跨不同年號和皇帝的錢幣。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

公元960年，手握重兵的將軍趙匡胤在手下支持下，於陳橋發動兵變迫使北周皇室退位。由於趙匡胤本身藉由兵變奪權，建立宋朝之後，先是以「杯酒釋兵權」卸下軍事將領的權力，更提倡「重文輕武」國策避免兵變發生，卻也使後續宋朝面對北方遊牧民族的入侵，無力抵抗。公元976年，宋太祖跟弟弟趙匡義在夜晚相談後，隔天就莫名駕崩，民間以「燭影斧聲」謠傳宋太祖為後續登基皇帝的趙匡義所殺害。

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。