Item number: A774

Year: AD 1253-1258

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.5 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 3.75g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a reign title coin minted during the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty.

According to historical records, the Huangsong Tongbao coin was first minted in AD 1253 and remained in use until AD 1258.

The coin’s obverse and reverse sides have been heavily corroded, resulting in a green patina covering its surface.

The obverse is circular with a square central hole, featuring inner and outer rims. Although the inscriptions are partially corroded, the four running script characters “Huangsong Tongbao” remain visible in a top-to-bottom and right-to-left reading orientation. The character “Huang” is noticeably larger than the character “Song” in terms of font size. The reverse is smooth, without any denomination or inscriptions.

During Emperor Lizong’s reign, Neo-Confucianism, particularly the philosophy of Zhu Xi, was actively promoted. Zhu Xi, along with other Neo-Confucian masters such as Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and Zhang Zai, were honoured in the Confucian temple. Starting with Emperor Lizong, Neo-Confucianism became the official state ideology and the orthodox philosophy of the realm.

物件編號: A774

年代: 公元 1253-1258年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.5 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

重量: 3.75g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚鑄造於南宋理宗時期的國號錢。依據史書記載，皇宋通寶最早鑄造於公元1253年，並一直使用到公元1258年為止。

錢幣正背面遭鏽蝕多處，使其顏色皆為銅綠色。錢幣正面為圓形，中央為方形穿孔，具內外廓。錢文雖遭鏽蝕，但仍可見「皇宋通寶」四字行書對讀。在字體大小上，「皇」字明顯大過「宋」字，錢幣背面為光背，無任何面額與文字。

宋理宗在位時期，曾大行推廣「理學」，崇尚朱熹思想，並將朱熹和其他理學大師周敦頤、程顥、程頤，和張載入祀孔廟。自宋理宗始，理學便成為官方首學，為國家正統之學。