Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Southern Song Dynasty
Chunxi Yuanbao
(Upward Pitching Crescent)
南宋
淳熙元寶
(背上仰月)
Item number: A878
Year: AD 1174-1179
Material: Bronze
Size: 23.4 x 23.2 x 0.7 mm
Weight: 2.25 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection
This coin was minted during the reign of the second emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong, under his third reign title, “Chunxi.” The coin, known as “Chunxi Yuanbao,” is made of bronze. Based on differences in script, Chunxi Yuanbao coins are classified into two types: seal script and regular script. After Chunxi’s 7th year (AD 1180), only the regular script version was issued, and these coins featured a date mark on the reverse side.
The coin follows the typical square-holed design. On the obverse, the four Chinese characters “Chunxi Yuanbao” are inscribed in regular script in a clockwise sequence, though the characters have become worn and are now largely illegible. On the reverse side, there is an upward-facing crescent moon motif at the top, serving as a decorative element.
Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Shen, was a collateral relative of the dynasty’s founding emperor, Gaozong. After ascending the throne, Xiaozong rehabilitated the reputation of the general Yue Fei, posthumously honouring him as Eguo Gong, and purged the faction of the infamous minister Qin Hui. However, following the failed Northern Expedition against the Jin dynasty in AD 1164, Xiaozong signed the Longxing Peace Treaty and changed the era name to Qiandao, securing over forty years of peaceful development. In AD 1189, Xiaozong abdicated in favour of his son, Emperor Guangzong, and passed away five years later.
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.