Item number: A811

Year: AD 995-997

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.6 x 24.6 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 4.05 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin, inscribed with “Zhidao Yuanbao,” was minted during the reign of Emperor Taizong, the second emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, under his final era name, “Zhidao.” Throughout Emperor Taizong’s 21-year rule, he employed a total of five different era names.

The coin follows the typical square-holed design and is covered with a layer of green patina. On the obverse side, the four Chinese characters “Zhidao Yuanbao” are inscribed in regular script in a clockwise order, each character reflecting the calligraphy of Emperor Taizong himself. The reverse side of the coin is blank, without any inscriptions or designs.

Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Kuangyi, was the younger brother of the founding emperor, Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyi’s succession is marred by the suspicion of fratricide, famously known as the “Candle Shadows and Axe Sounds” incident, coupled with several military failures during his northern campaigns against the Liao Dynasty. Consequently, he shifted his focus towards cultural endeavours, making it his mission to promote Confucianism. The two brothers, Emperor Taizu and Taizong, are often regarded as embodying the military and civil foundations of the Song Dynasty, respectively.

Emperor Taizu, during the Chunhua period (AD 990-AD 994), personally inscribed the calligraphy for the new currency “Chunhua Yuanbao,” making it the first coin in Chinese history to feature the emperor’s handwriting, known as “Imperial Script Money” (御書錢).

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: A811

年代: 公元 995-997 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.6 x 24.6 x 1.1 mm

重量: 4.05 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是北宋的第二任皇帝宋太宗，使用其最後一個年號鑄造的「至道元寶」。宋太宗統治的21年間，前後使用過五個年號。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，通體包裹一層綠色包漿。錢幣正面以順時針順序，依序以楷書書法鐫刻漢字「至道元寶」四字，皆出自宋太宗的親筆書法。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字和圖案。

宋太宗趙匡義為宋朝開國皇帝趙匡胤的弟弟，由於趙匡義的繼承深陷殺害哥哥的「燭影斧聲」嫌疑，和數次北伐遼國的軍事失敗，使他轉而推行文化工作以發揚儒學為己任。宋太祖和太宗兩兄弟被視為一武一文，奠定宋朝的基礎。宋太祖更在淳化年間(公元990至994年)，親手書寫新貨幣「淳化元寶」書法，為中國歷史上第一種皇帝親筆書寫的「御書錢」。

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。