Item number: A906

Year: AD 1032-1033

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.6 x 25.3 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 3.9 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Mingdao Yuanbao” coin, minted at the reign of Emperor Renzong, the fourth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, using his second era name. Emperor Renzong, Zhao Zhen, reigned for 41 years, during which he used nine different era names.

The coin is a typical square-holed type. On the obverse side, the four characters “Mingdao Yuanbao” are inscribed in regular script, arranged clockwise. The reverse side of the coin is blank, with no inscriptions or designs.

During Emperor Renzong’s reign, Fan Zhongyan served as the prime minister. During the Qingli period, they attempted to implement the Qingli New Policies, but the effort failed due to overwhelming opposition.

There is also a popular folk tale known as the “The Cat for the Crown Prince” (狸貓換太子), in which the protagonist is Emperor Renzong himself.

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: A906

年代: 公元 1032-1033 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.6 x 25.3 x 1.0 mm

重量: 3.9 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是北宋的第四位皇帝宋仁宗，以其使用的第二個年號鑄造的「明道元寶」。宋仁宗趙禎在位的41年間，先後使用過九個年號。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢。錢幣正面按順時針順序，依序以楷書書法鐫刻漢字「明道元寶」四字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何圖案或文字。

仁宗時期的宰相為范仲淹，慶歷年間，君臣曾推行慶歷新法，然而因反對勢力過大而失敗。民間有傳聞「狸貓換太子」的故事，當中的主角也是當朝皇帝宋仁宗。

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。