Item number: A869

Year: AD 1127-1130

Material: Bronze

Size: 30.0 x 30.0 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 6.65 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin, minted during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song dynasty, is a “Jianyan Tongbao” coin. A distinctive feature of this coin is the use of regular script for the inscriptions on its surface, though it also exhibits the fluidity and vigour characteristic of running script, making the characters elegant.

The coin is a typical square-holed coin, with a square hole at the centre of the obverse. The face of the coin bears the four characters “Jianyan Tongbao” in regular script, although the inscriptions show slight signs of wear and erosion. A notable crack is present in the lower right quadrant of the obverse, and the outer edge displays a faint bluish sheen. The reverse side of the coin also features a central square hole, with a clear crack visible in the lower left quadrant and a bluish patina forming at the bottom edge.

The “Jianyan Tongbao” coins were minted during the Jianyan era (AD 1127-AD 1130) of Emperor Gaozong’s reign, a period marked by the transition of power and the Southern migration of the Song court. Despite these upheavals, the minting of coins continued uninterrupted, with many mints remaining active in producing currency. Among the various types of “Jianyan Tongbao” coins, those featuring regular and seal scripts are most common.

Furthermore, extant “Jianyan Tongbao” coins can be categorised into “one cash,” “two cash,” and “three cash,” with “two cash” being the most prevalent among surviving specimens. The denomination of the coins can be distinguished by their size and weight. According to existing data, standard “one cash” coins have a diameter of approximately 25 mm and weigh around 3.5 g; “two cash” coins have a diameter of about 28 mm and weigh around 5.7 g; and “three cash” coins have a diameter of about 30 mm and weigh approximately 9.3 g.

However, this particular “Jianyan Tongbao” coin measures 30 mm in diameter and weighs 6.65 g, indicating a significant deviation from the standard weights of both “two cash” and “three cash” coins. While its size corresponds to that of a “three cash,” the substantial discrepancy in weight suggests that it is more likely to be classified as a ” two cash” coin.

物件編號: A869

年代: 公元 1127-1130 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 30.0 x 30.0 x 1.4 mm

重量: 6.65 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這枚錢幣是南宋高宗時期鑄造的「建炎通寶」，其特色是幣面文字採楷書，但又有行書的筆勁，字體流暢易讀。

這是一枚方孔錢。錢幣的正面中央有一方孔，幣面有楷書「建炎通寶」四字，但字跡都有些微磨蝕痕跡。幣面右下方有一明顯的裂痕，外圍呈現些許青色光澤。錢幣的反面中央也有一方孔，幣面左下方也有一清楚的裂痕，外圍底部亦有青色光澤沉澱。

建炎通寶鑄造於南宋高宗建炎年間(公元1127-1130年)，此時正值政權遞嬗、宋室南遷的階段，不過此時鑄錢工作卻未見停歇，反而有多數錢監持續進行製錢工作。而在眾多的建炎通寶中，以楷書、篆書字體為多。

另外，在傳世的建炎通寶中，可分為小平錢、折二、折三錢，其中傳世錢幣中又以折二錢為最。面額大小區分的方式主要可從尺寸、重量辨別。依據現有資料顯示，標準小平錢直徑約為25毫米左右，重量約3.5克左右；折二錢直徑約28毫米左右，重量約5.7克左右；折三錢直徑約30毫米左右，重量約9.3克左右。

然而這枚建炎通寶的尺寸是直徑30毫米，重量6.65克，顯然與標準折二錢和折三錢存在明顯誤差。雖然其尺寸與折三錢相符，但由於重量巨大誤差，故面額較可能為折二錢。