Item number: A797-2

Year: AD 1086-1093

Material: Iron

Size: 30.9 x 31.2 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 8.6 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a “Yuanyou Tongbao” coin minted during the reign of Emperor Zhezong, the seventh emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, using his first era name. Emperor Zhezong ruled for 15 years and adopted three different era names throughout his reign. The “Yuanyou Tongbao” coins were issued in three denominations based on weight: “one-cash,” “two-cash,” and “three-cash.” This coin weighs 8.6 g, corresponding to the denomination of “three-cash,” and is made of iron.

The coin follows the typical square-holed design. On the obverse side, the four Chinese characters “Yuanyou Tongbao” are inscribed in running script in a clockwise order. It is traditionally believed that the running script was penned by the great literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi. The reverse side of the coin is plain, without any inscriptions or designs, and shows noticeable signs of wear and erosion.

Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty ascended the throne at the age of eight, initially under the regency of his grandmother, Empress Dowager Gao, who ruled from behind a curtain. Empress Dowager Gao favoured the “Old Faction” led by Sima Guang, removing the “New Faction” represented by Wang Anshi, which had been prominent during the reign of Emperor Shenzong. This period of political change is historically referred to as the “Yuanyou Reforms.”

However, in the 8th year of the Yuanyou era (AD 1093), after Empress Dowager Gao passed away and Emperor Zhezong assumed personal control of the government, he became dissatisfied with the dominance of the Old Faction and began to restore members of the New Faction to power. This led to escalating factional conflicts within the Northern Song court and increasing policy confusion, ultimately sowing the seeds for the dynasty’s eventual downfall.

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: A797-2

年代: 公元 1086-1093 年

材質: 鐵

尺寸: 30.9 x 31.2 x 1.6 mm

重量: 8.6 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是北宋的第七位皇帝宋哲宗，以其使用的第一個年號鑄造的「元祐通寶」。宋哲宗在位15年，先後使用過三個年號。元祐通寶按照重量有「小平錢、折二和折三」三種面額。此枚錢幣重量為8.6克，換算面額為折三，材質為鐵。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢。錢幣正面按順時針順序，依序以行書書法鐫刻漢字「元祐通寶」四字，該行書書法據傳出自北宋大文豪蘇軾之手。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案，並且有明顯的磨蝕痕跡。

宋哲宗以八歲幼齡繼位之初，由祖母高太后實施垂簾聽政。高太后重用司馬光為首的舊黨，拔除宋神宗以來王安石為代表的新黨，史稱「元祐更化」。然而元祐8年(公元1093年)，宋哲宗在高太后去世親政後，不滿舊黨跋扈改重用新黨人士，使得北宋朝廷內的黨爭日益加劇和政策混亂，埋下北宋滅亡的種子。

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。